HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT
EAST HAWAII CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION SECTION
ACTING LIEUTENANT GREG ESTEBAN
PHONE: 961-2384
AUGUST 15, 2005

MEDIA RELEASE

Big Island police are reporting another telephone scam – this one from a caller who announces that the person answering the phone has won a $3 million sweepstakes from Canada.

The catch is, the intended victim must first pay a fee before receiving the “winnings.”

“We would like to warn residents not to fall for these scams,” Lieutenant Randall Medeiros, head of the East Hawaii Criminal Investigation Section, said.

“No legitimate contest organization requires that the ‘winner’ send in a fee before collecting his or her ‘winnings.’ And sending any personal financial information is a good way to have your bank account wiped out.”

Medeiros noted that scammers tend to prey on the elderly because they tend to me more trusting of people.

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