A common phone scam is once again making an appearance on the Kenai Peninsula. But this time, scammers are targeting seniors.
Michelle Tabler, Alaska Regional Manager for the Better Business Bureau, says she has gotten several reports of the so-called “Publishers Clearinghouse scam” in Homer and Soldotna.
“It’s a typical lottery scam, but in this situation, they’re telling people that they’ve won Publishers Clearinghouse or they call it PCH. The amount varies several million dollars. Then they call back and say, well there’s some fees associated with this and that there’s some taxes,” said Tabler.
The scammers tell victims they must send money or gift cards before they can receive their sweepstakes prize.
“We just want people to know that these are not legitimate phone calls and you should never have to pay any fees if you ever have won. We advise people just to hang up the phone. You didn’t really win,” said Tabler.
Residents who suspect they were a victim of a phone scam should report it to their local police department. More information can be found on the Better Business Bureau website, www.bbb.org.
