Sheriff: Hang up on phone scam | Crime

“You’ve won the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes!”

Those are words we would all love to hear.  But, if you live in Baxter County, don’t believe them!

According to Sheriff John Montgomery, his office has received three complaint reports recently of telephone scams in the area.

The caller claims the victim has won $250,000 in the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.

To collect the money, the "winner" is told to go to a local Walmart and meet another person and pay him a processing fee ranging from $375 to $550 in cash.

Sheriff Montgomery says the calls are originating from an 876 area code, which is assigned to Jamaica.  The caller is described as having a "muffled voice" that is "difficult to understand."

If you receive such a call, the sheriff urges you to "not confirm or relese any personal information whatsoever, including verifying name, address or any other identifying information."

Scammers can be very persistent, Sheriff Montgomery says.  They may call numerous times trying to convince the potential victim the call is legitimate.

He also warns residents not to return a call to the 876 area code.  Doing so could result in significant charges to their telephone bill.