A possible telephone scam has one longtime Oxford resident worried and she wants to warn others.
‘Somebody might believe it,? said Helen Smith referring to a phone call she received around 11 a.m. Thursday, March 9.
A man claiming to be with the Department of Commerce who said his name was ‘Christopher Thomas? phoned Smith to inform her she won ‘second prize? in a sweepstakes ? $386,000.
Best of all, he told her ‘all the federal taxes have been paid? on the prize money. ‘I was very skeptical,? Smith said. ‘I never win anything.?
Sensing it was a scam, she began asking as many questions as she could.
‘I wanted to get as much information as I could to give to the police,? Smith said.
She said Thomas asked her if she was going to be home that afternoon because two men named ‘Donald Bennett and Frank Williams? were coming to her house to present her with a ‘certified check.?
‘He said the men would go with me to make sure I safely got to my bank to deposit it,? Smith said. ‘The fact that they said they were going to come here ? that disturbed me.?
When Smith asked Thomas if this was a scam, he said the sweepstakes and her prize were genuine.
Thomas told her she won the money from ‘American Direct,? but didn’t say who or what that is. He said she could call (866) 612-4222 to verify everything.
The man also told Smith she could call the Better Business Bureau at (866) 369-7869 for further verification. He then said she could call him back in the Department of Commerce building at (866) 261-6846.
‘I noticed that all three area codes were the same,? said Smith, who did not call any of the numbers.
The 866 area code denotes a toll free number.
When this reporter called the numbers, the response from all three was the same ? a recorded message of someone speaking in a foreign language which sounded like Spanish.
Smith continued to ask the caller more questions at which point Thomas got ‘frustrated? and ‘hung up.?
She then called the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.
Keeping her door locked, Smith said no one ever showed up that afternoon or since.
‘You worry ? two men coming to your front door,? she said. ‘What would some of these older people do??
Based on the information Smith provided to him, OCSD Lt. Tom Parker, commander of the Oxford substation, said, ‘Yes, it’s definitely a scam. It’s definitely an attempt to solicit information from a senior citizen.?
‘These calls happen all the time. They run in cycles,? said the lieutenant, noting he hasn’t heard of any calls in the area similar to Smith’s.
‘That was the only one so far that I know of,? Parker said. ‘It looks like an isolated incident. Hopefully, it is.?
Parker wished to remind people, ‘If it sounds to good to be true, it is.?
If you receive a phone call that could be part of scam, Parker said do not divulge any personal information such social security, bank account, driver’s license or credit card numbers.
Parker urged people to report such calls to the sheriff’s department so they can at least compile information and advise people what to be on the look out for.