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In their efforts to help Rockland County residents avoid becoming the latest victim of a scam, the Clarkstown Police Department issued an alert on Friday warning of the latest fraud that a town resident has fallen victim to.
A 79-year-old woman from Nanuet reported to the Clarkstown Police Department to report she had been scammed after receiving a letter in the mail from “Publishers Clearing House,” which stated she was a winner of a “large sum of money.” The letter also said to contact (917) 460-8046 to claim the prize.
Police said the woman called the number and spoke with a man who referred to himself as “Robert Diaz,” who advised her to send a money order for $919 as an insurance policy to collect her winning. He further stated that a check would follow with her winnings.
The woman received a check from “Robert Diaz,” police said, which was deposited into her checking account. She then proceeded to send the money order as planned, to an address in Philadelphia. After sending the money order, the woman’s bank advised her that the check had bounced and she had been scammed.
“The Clarkstown Police Department is aware of the numerous frauds that many of our town residents have fallen victim to. We have been aggressively investigating these frauds but most of the suspects are outside of the United States. The FBI and the IRS have been trying to bring these fugitives to justice and bring an end to their actions.”
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