The Mount Airy Police Department is warning residents to be on the lookout for a mail scam that claims the recipient has won a large amount of cash.
Scam letters, which purport to be from “Publishers Clearing House,” advise recipients to call an agent named in the letter to arrange payment, then the scammer tries to obtain bank account and credit card information from the victim, Mount Airy police said in a statement. Police say the letters are used to scam people into paying fees to access the “winning funds.”
In one scam example shared by Mount Airy police, the letter claims the recipient has won $1,950,000.
Recipients of such letters should contact their local law enforcement agency to assist with clarification, police said. Residents can also call the supposed company directly by finding their business number online, police said.
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