On July 20th, 2011, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office was notified that the LeMars Police Department was dispatched to the Wal-Mart Store on 1111 SW Holton Drive in LeMars, Iowa. The manager wanted to report some suspicious activity. When they arrived, LeMars Police were advised that an elderly female from rural Plymouth County has been obtaining Green Dot cards and putting large sums of money on them the last couple of days. When the manager questioned her as to what she was doing with the cards, she advised that she had won a lottery and that this is the money they are requesting for taxes owed on her winnings. The manager notified the police department which then turned this case over to the sheriff’s office.
After visiting with this rural elderly lady, it was learned that someone representing himself as an IRS agent was collecting the taxes owed on her winnings. Through conversations with them, they advised her to go purchase these cards and then they would call and get the activation numbers, which enables them to transfer the money off the cards. She also advised that the company in charge of this lottery was LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL WINNINGS CORPORATION OUT THE COUNTRY OF JAMAICA. In the process, this elderly lady has lost approximately $15,000.00. The LeMars Police Department had also investigated two (2) other complaints of this same nature where the victims in those cases have lost approximately $3,000.00.
The public, especially the elderly, need to be aware of these types of scams. These scams are common by phone and mail. Any suspicious activity needs to be reported to the local law enforcement authorities.
