Credit: Coconut Creek Police Department
By Sharon Aron Baron
The Coconut Creek Police Department issued an urgent scam alert to residents regarding a recent fraud incident involving a scammer posing as a representative from the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.
The alert was triggered by a Coconut Creek resident who was nearly victimized by a sophisticated scam operation. The victim, whose identity is being kept confidential, received a call a few days ago from an individual introducing himself as “Dave” from Publisher’s Clearinghouse. “Dave” informed her she had won a grand prize —a brand-new Mercedes-Benz.
However, there was a catch: to claim her prize, she was instructed to purchase prepaid gift cards and provide the card numbers.
The victim followed the instructions, which led to the loss of the money loaded onto the gift cards. Coconut Creek Police emphasize that requests for payment via gift cards are a hallmark of fraudulent activity.
After the initial mistake, the woman received a $60,000 check from “Dave,” who instructed her to deposit the check and return a portion of the money to him. Sensing something amiss, she contacted her son.
“Mom… you’re getting scammed,” he warned.
The woman brought the check to the Coconut Creek Police Department, which confirmed her suspicions that the check was fraudulent. By consulting a family member and then the authorities, she prevented further loss and possible legal complications.
Residents are encouraged to report similar incidents to the Coconut Creek Police to help stop these scammers from claiming more victims. The Police Department is actively working on outreach to educate the public on scam awareness and prevention strategies.
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