State Police and a sweepstakes company are warning people of a scam that has hit the area and has caused a Hempfield man to lose $15,000 from his bank account.
Troopers say that they were called out earlier this week for the reported identity theft. The scammers posed as representatives of the U.S. Sweepstakes and Fulfillment Company, which is a legitimate company, and told 89-year-old Kenneth Kibler that he had won $35,000 and needed to accept the prize or go to court. He was then asked to send in a check for $10,000 to receive his $35,000 prize, and was also told he would receive a new car.
In late December, the man realized that he had approximately $15,000 gone from his account from transactions in late December. The U.S. Sweepstakes and Fulfillment Company said that the case of fraud was reported, and a warning was put out by their company telling people not to send money to people claiming they were with the company.
Complaints can be filed with the Federal Trade Commission by calling 877-382-4357, or logging on to www.ftc.gov.
