SCAM ALERT The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office is alerting…

SCAM ALERT

The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office is alerting the public of The “Publisher’s Clearing House” Scam.

In this scam, the victim receives a phone call, text, email, or postal mail telling them that they have won an exorbitant amount of money in the Publisher’s Clearing House lottery. Most of the victims have never even entered the lottery but fail to recall that fact. The scammer tells the victim that they have won millions of dollars, but that they have to send money to pay “taxes” or “processing fees.” They typically ask for thousands of dollars to be sent by wire, cashier’s check, gift cards, Venmo, or PayPal. They tell the victim not to tell friends or relatives because it is intended to be a “surprise.”

Remember, if you have to pay money to get money it is a scam. If it is too good to be true reach out to a trusted source before acting. You always have time to verify, do not let them take that away from you. If they insist that you need to pay now, it is a scam, end the conversation. It is ok to hang up. If you would like to file a report or speak to a please call the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 315-736-0141.