By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
The Hays Police Department is warning the community of phone scams recently infiltrating the Hays community.
According to Lt. Brandon Wright, the latest “Publisher’s Clearing House” scam has hit five people in Hays.
“The intended victims received a phone call,” Wright said. “The caller told them they had won a large amount of money and a car, but had to pay the registration fees in order to win the the prizes.”
The “winners” of the cash and the car then were directed to obtain a reusable debit card and furnish the account number to the caller.
Luckily, none of the intended victims fell for the scam, and the HPD wants to make sure no one does.
“If anyone calls you out of the blue saying you won something and asks for money, don’t do it, ” added Lt. Ron Rounkles.
Another recent scam hit several businesses in Hays. According to Wright, the businesses were contacted by phone by someone representing a utilities company. The businesses were told they did not pay their recent bill and would need to pay the balance right away or utilities would be cut off.
Fortunately, none of the businesses fell for that scam either. However, there is another scam that has bitten a few people.
“You have someone who is selling something on an online website such as eBay,” said Wright.
The “buyer” offers to send the seller more money than the item is selling for if the seller agrees to send some of the money to another account in order to “help” someone who needs the money.
Wright said the buyer will then receive what looks like a real check, deposit the check into their account and send some of the money to the account or mailing address the scammers provided.
Wright said the victims, who are usually the “young or the elderly,” find out it was a scam about a week later when the check bounces and the bank wants their money back. By then, there is little the police can do as “almost every time this happens the crime is found to have originated overseas.”
Bottom line? “Don’t give them the money,” Rounkles said.
Contact the Hays Police Department at 785-625-1030 if you receive a suspicious phone call.