14 DAY TRIAL // If you live in the state of Pennsylvania, be on the alert about a phone scam involving the Rite Aid drugstore and a so-called “sweepstake” that will make you rich… on the condition you pay a certain amount for taxes.
Authorities have issued an alert about the Rite Aid scam which seems to target the elderly, Web Pro News reports.
“Officials say the scam involves the caller informing the victim that they’ve won $18,000 [€13,563] in a sweepstakes but have to pay $500 [€376.7] in taxes in order to receive it,” the e-zine says.
“The caller asks for a pre-paid ‘Green Dot’ card in the amount, which works like a debit card. Several complaints have been registered in the area about the scam,” it adds.
This is then used to gain access to the person’s bank account, and unauthorized withdrawals or expenditures will be made.
Police have traced the caller to Jamaica but, as of the time of writing, no arrests have been made yet.
The video above is an older “tutorial” on how to avoid the so-called lottery scam. Most of the tips there also apply in this case.