BEWARE OF SCAM

By Jon Mayhew

LINCOLNTON -- A 69-year-old woman told police she received a telephone call Tuesday that was simply too good to be true. Now, investigators are looking into the call and want to warn residents of a scam.

According to Sgt. Matt Painter's incident report at Lincolnton Police, the woman received the call around 2:30 p.m.

The victim said she was called three times since Saturday and told by an unknown male that she won $3 million.

However, to claim the money, the woman would have to send $2,000 to them first.

The number the woman was given to call was either an 876 number or an 866 number according to the report.

After wiring the money, the woman was told to ask for a male by name.

The victim decided to turn the tables on the would-be criminals and called the number back.

She was told by a second male that she won $250,000 and she needed to wire $1,100 to an address in Florida. The second male claimed to work for America Money Clearing (AMC).

The Carolina Scoop traced the telephone number in the report to a Jamacian address and has learned there is no such company as America Money Clearing.

When the victim told the caller she would have to check with police, he became agitated and hung up the phone.

Police say that any phone solicitations that require winners to send money is in all likelihood a scam.