Hawkins residents victims of phone, Internet scams
ROGERSVILLE — The Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office received reports this weekend of two successful scams, one originating on the Internet and one perpetrated over the phone, but both costing their victims hundreds of dollars.
Saturday evening, HCSO Deputy Matt Pendleton responded to the home of a 54-year-old Rogersville man, who stated he had been scammed out of $500.
The man said he received a call from a person who identified himself as Robert Brown, an employee of the “American Money Corporation” based in Las Vegas, who said he had won the Tennessee Lottery.
The caller stated that the man needed to send him a $500 money order to receive his cash payout and prizes.
“(The victim) wired the money to Mr. Brown using Money Pak wire transfer company,” stated Pendleton in his report. “Upon doing so (the victim) stated Mr. Brown called back and stated he had not received the money, and asked where it was. (The victim) alleged that he spoke with another gentleman from the same institution who stated the money had been received and that a courier was at Rheaville Airport in Tennessee and was en route to deliver (his) prizes.”
Pendleton added, “I advised (the victim) that this sounded like a scam and that a report would be filed.”
The HCSO Detectives Division was notified of the scam for further investigation.
The second successful scam was reported to the HCSO Friday.
A 46-year-old Rogersville woman reported to HCSO Deputy Michael Lipe Friday she had signed up online to be a “mystery shopper.”
A few weeks later, she received a package via UPS from the Mystery Shopper Web site, which contained a money order for $990.
Also included were instruction for her to cash the money order and send $730 of the $990 to Edwin Vasquez, 2430 Brenda St., West Covina, Calif. 91792.
The woman told Lipe she sent the money to Vasquez via Western Union on Jan. 12 and later received a call from her bank that the money order was fake.
As a result, she would be liable for the $930 she received from her bank upon cashing the fake money order.
The HCSO Detectives Division is investigating that case as well.
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You know by now people should know that there is no such thing as a free lunch. This scam has been around far to long for people to still be falling for it.I guess some people will never learn.
All I can say is: If people are stupid enough to believe this stuff....they deserve what they get coming to them. (Nothing)