LANCASTER, S.C. — Several phone scams were reported to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department last week where the caller requested a pre-paid debit card account number.
One woman received a phone call from someone who said that she would receive $7,000 from the U.S. Government if she went to a local drug store and sent the callers $149.95 on a prepaid card.
The callers wanted her to use the Green Dot Package which are hard to track, pre-paid debit cards. If someone has the account number associated with the card, they are able to take money out of the account.
The phone number had a Washington, D.C. area code. The callers told the woman that they needed to remain on the phone with her throughout the process and that once they received the $149.95, the $7,000 would be deposited into her bank account.
The woman realized it was a scam and did not go through with the plan.
“Residents are reminded to not give their personal information, including bank accounts, social security numbers, credit card numbers, and other information to anyone who solicits the information. If someone calls and tells you that you have won a sweepstakes or another reward, it is probably a scam. In other words, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” said Sheriff Bailey Faile.
If anyone has information about this or has experienced a related phone call, they are asked to call police.
