BEDFORD COUNTY (WSLS10) - The Bedford County Sheriff's Office is warning area residents about a Publisher's Clearing House scam.
Deputies say scammers are mailing false congratulatory letters, along with a check.
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The thieves ask recipients to send cash via Federal Express to cover the handling and taxes associated with winning the contest.
However, the Bedford County Sheriff's Office says the winnings check is a fraud.
Deputies say to never send cash to anyone. If you are unsure, call law enforcement first to make sure you are not falling for a scam.
Read the full report below.
Bedford, VA – Sheriff Brown has a warning to ALL Bedford County and surrounding areas about a Publishers Clearing House mail scam.
You may receive in the mail a very ‘official' looking congratulatory letter with a check. However, they ask you to send cash to cover the handling and taxes, usually to be delivered via Federal Express.
This is a SCAM! By the time you Fed Ex your cash and they receive it, you find out from your bank that the check was a fraud!
NEVER send any cash to anyone, especially for a sweepstakes or lottery. If you have any questions on something you receive in the mail, please call the Sheriff's office before acting on it. Chances are, someone has already been victimized by the same scam, which will save you from losing your hard earned money to scam artists in some distant country.
If you receive calls from these scammers, just hang up.