Carmi Police Chief Jason Carter is warning the public of a scam that targets all age groups. People are receiving Facebook messages, typically from someone from their friends list that even has the correct profile picture. The message informs the receiver of a Government Grant that the “friend” had just received and gives a dollar amount that the “friend” received, normally in excess of $50,000. The “friend then directs you to a person to contact if you’re interested in receiving the grant. Eventually you are asked to provide Steam Cards, Google Cards, iTunes Cards, as part of a delivery fee, lawyer fees, or custom fees. Carter says they see these scams and many others on a frequent basis. He warns the public to be alert and don’t become a victim. Never give your personal information or bank accounts to someone over the phone or any Social Media avenues. Remember if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. No legitimate agency, organization, or person will ask you to provide gift cards, gift card numbers or cash as a payment for FREE money. Most all of these scams originate outside the United States making it nearly impossible to track. Area residents have lost thousands of dollars as a result of such scams.
