The Catskill Chronicle

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY (June 5, 2014) – The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office is asking citizens to be aware of a current wave of telephone scams originating from the 876 area code.

Victims are typically contacted and told they have won a $1.5 million dollar lottery or a Mercedes Benz.

In order to claim the prize, the victims are instructed to pay a processing fee or to pre pay the taxes, via Western Union, MoneyGram or a money order sent overnight by UPS. When the victim sends the money, they never receive their winnings. If the scammers feel really brazen, they will call back the victim and ask for even more money.

“Last year this type of scam targeted senior citizens across New England”, said Sheriff Mike Schiff. “The scam artists are now targeting our seniors in New York, particularly Sullivan County.” 

876 is the area code for the Caribbean nation of Jamaica. Because the scam originates across international boundaries, it makes it harder to investigate.

Just this past week, 876 scammers have been calling residents in the Eldred/Yulan area in the Town of Highland. “We have been contacted by the Highland Town Supervisor, Andy Boyar, who is very concerned for the residents of his town, especially the elderly,” said the Sheriff. “The best we can do right now is to put everyone on alert and get the word out that this crime is taking place.” The Sheriff provided the following tips on how not to be scammed:

· If you get a call saying you’re a winner – don’t pay any money to collect supposed sweepstakes winnings. Legitimate operations won’t require you to pay to collect your winnings.

· It’s against federal law to play a foreign lottery – so if you get a call it is likely a scam.

· Never wire money to anyone with whom you are not familiar. Beware of callers who may attempt to impersonate relatives, especially grandchildren, and ask you to wire them money.

· Never provide anyone with personal information such as bank accounts, pin numbers or Social Security numbers.

· Check any unfamiliar area codes before returning calls.

· Be aware that there are many 3-digit area codes that connect callers to international telephone numbers – especially 876.

· If you do not have Caller ID, consider adding it to your phone service. Caller ID allows you to add a Call Intercept feature that screens calls and offers the option to reject suspicious international calls.

· If you do not make international calls, ask your telephone provider to block outgoing international calls.

· Contact your phone service provider, local authorities, or the Federal Trade Commission to report a potential scam.