Scam alert

LUDINGTON — The Ludington Police Department has recently received numerous complaints from citizens stating they are receiving phone calls advising them they have won various prizes. The prizes have ranged from new vehicles to cash. The caller states that in order to receive their prize they must pay a delivery fee. The prizes and fees have been different, but the requested form of payment has been the same in all reported calls.

The caller requests that the individual purchase either a Walgreen’s Green Dot card or a CVS Pharmacy card for the amount of the delivery fee. The caller then informs the individual that they have to call other winners to notify them of their winnings. They schedule a time to call back when the individual will have the card to verify that they are home so that the prizes can be delivered.

The calls show up on caller ID as coming from Kingston, Jamaica. The caller has no intent of coming to deliver the prize, but will call back at the designated time and request the card number so that the funds can be verified. The caller will then secure the funds from the card and there is no way to retrieve the funds and all will be lost.

“These scams depend on victims thinking that they are getting something for nothing,” Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett said. “If it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true. Do not believe that some unknown person is calling you over the phone to give you free money or prizes. The only reason that they are calling you is to take your money.”

Barnett said citizens are reminded to not give out any personal information over the phone that could aid these individuals in identity theft and that the calls are a scam that has the intent to steal money from them.

“We recommend that you not speak to the caller and simply hang up the phone if you are informed that you have won a prize and need to pay a deliver fee. If you have caller ID and see that you are receiving a call form Kingston, Jamaica then don’t even answer the phone.”