A number of new scams are presently circulating throughout the territory. The latest scams discovered by DLCA come in the form of an e-mail and a cell phone text message, according to a press release issued Friday by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs.
The first scam claims that your cell phone number has been randomly selected by a powerball database cash draw promotion and that you have won $1.2 million U.S. dollars. It lists a claim reference number of D8M. Additionally, it provides a ficticious e-mail address, powerball2@usa.com, which you can e-mail for more information about your prize. Residents are strongly advised to disregard the text and to refrain from replying to the sender, whether by text, e-mail or telephone call.
The second scam comes from an individual that goes by the name of Mrs. Evelyn McGregor, publicity secretary of Heineken Beer Regional Branch in the UK. The e-mail claims that your e-mail address was randomly selected through Heineken’s computer ballot system and that you have won four hundred thousand Great British pounds from a sweepstakes held on Aug. 3. It goes on to state that the promotion is part of the financial empowerment program of the Heineken Company London, UK, in its desire to reward customers worldwide. This particular scam requires you to contact an individual by the name of Ms. Jessica Christopher in the UK at 447-031-740-789 and provide her with your personal information. The information requested includes your full name, address, age, sex, nationality, telephone numbers, marital status, and occupation. It also provides a PIN (personal identification number) which they claim is specifically assigned to you and must be provided in every e-mail that you send to them.
Residents are urged not to turn over any personal information to either one of these scams. In general, the rule of thumb is to not provide your personal information to companies or individuals that you are unfamiliar with. Scam artists can utilize basic personal information to gain access to your bank accounts, credit cards, and even commit identity theft. Residents should not fall for offers that promise money without having to do anything. Specifically, unsolicited offers from overseas which may indicate that you were randlomly selected for a prize.
DLCA will continue to monitor the existence of scams that are circulating throughout the territory to ensure that the appropriate legal action is taken. If you have received solicitation of any kind and may have questions about its legitimacy, or would like to file a complaint, please contact the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, Division of Consumer Services, at 774-3130 on St. Thomas-St. John or 773-2226 on St. Croix.
