We must be vigilant against fraud

To the editor:
This is a fraud alert.
The other day, Monday, April 6, I received a phone call from a man claiming to be an FBI agent. He claimed that I’d won a million dollars from PCH (Publishers Clearing House) in 2012 and that an employee of PCH stole the money. The employee supposedly claimed I was dead and took the money to Mexico.
The search somehow was begun by the FBI and they traced the money down in Mexico and recovered $600,000. Now this “agent” stated that he was going to fax an IRS Form T-126 (a bogus form) and an IRD Form (a bogus Insurance Refund Deposit form) for the $1,000 that I would need to remit in order to receive my “riches” to the local police department.
Oddly enough, this man actually did contact Portland Police Department and spoke with Chief Nathan Springer. He actually did fax some papers to the department, but not what he told me he was going to fax.
Chief Springer was rather startled that the man actually did fax anything to him at the department. Chief Springer called me and informed me of what had gone on and we both spoke about our surprise that he, the “defrauder”, even called the police department.
I had called the FBI Washington Headquarters after I got off the phone with the “defrauder” to inquire about the legitimacy of the “agent.” They directed me to call my local office, Indianapolis, which I promptly did. The person with whom I spoke with in Indianapolis directed me to report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission. (The FTC, as I remember from past experience, tells one to report an incident to your state’s attorney general’s office.) Chief Springer called me shortly after I talked with the Indianapolis FBI Office.
The “defrauder/agent” tried to alleviate my concerns about paying money, $1,000, to receive money, by talking about the sham IRD Form, which, supposedly would repay my $1,000 after I’d received my “prize.” He told me this because my question convinced him that I wouldn’t pay money in order to receive money, a sure sign of a scam.
Chief Springer asked me if I’d given out any personal information, which could assist the “defrauder” in stealing from me. I knew better than to have given such information, but there are those that would divulge such information. Never give a caller personal information which could help the steal from you.
Please remember that this is another scam with a slightly different twist to it. Remind elderly parents or friends that the scammers are ever present and continually altering their approaches in order to dupe those that may have even a momentary lapse of awareness/alertness.
If we have an enemy, it is people like this that are our real enemies. They are right here and coming after your or a loved one’s money.
This and cyber crime are what we need to protect ourselves from as they don’t need guns to destroy lives.
Daniel E. Chase
Portland