Another fraudulent check scam could be circulating in the area after an Austintown woman reported receiving a $1,985 check in the mail Wednesday from the Global Lotto Commission.
She said a letter that accompanied the check told her she was part of a $125,000 winning lottery jackpot and asked her to call a number and ask for a certain individual. She said she did not call the number, but reported the incident to Phone Busters, which specializes in telemarketing fraud.
Generally, the scams work this way: A person receives a check in the mail for a lottery winning and they are asked to call a number. The person they talk to tells them to cash the check and then wire a portion of it through Western Union to cover processing costs. The check later turns out to be fake.
"I feel bad for the elderly and people who are unemployed who may fall for this because they are desperate, so I want to make them aware that this is happening. I am sure I am not the only one who got one of these," the woman said.
She did not want to be identified.
Anyone who thinks they may be the victim of a telemarketing scam or a mail fraud scam should call their local police department to report it.
