Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– Police are warning residents to be wary of sweepstakes or lottery competitions that ask winners to send money or personal details. An elderly couple learned this the hard way recently, losing thousands of dollars.
Police were dispatched to the Park Forest Police Department on January 14 to investigate a report of fraud. An elderly couple reported receiving a phone call from a male subject who identified himself as Mr. Miller. Mr. Miller told the wife that she had won $2.5 million. According to Miller, the money was in customs in Miami and she needed to pay administration fees.
The woman went to the Norwood Square Currency Exchange and sent $2500 to one man, over $500 to a woman in Mirarar, Florida, and over $1800 to a man in Jamaica. The total amount of money sent was $4903. She was in the process of getting more money from her account at a bank in Park Forest when the teller asked her why she was making so many withdrawals. She told the teller the story about winning the money and the administrative fees, and the bank sent her to the Park Forest Police Department.
Officer Naughton contacted the Norwood Square Currency Exchange in an attempt to trace the funds.
