Police Warn Against Sweepstakes Scam

After hearing from an Oxnard woman who was apparently the target of a sweepstakes fraud scheme, police issued a warning Monday for residents to be on the lookout for similar scams.

The 72-year-old woman, who wished to remain anonymous, received a call from someone who identified himself as a Federal Express employee, police said. The caller told her that he would soon deliver a $32,000 check from the Reader’s Digest Sweepstakes.

But she became suspicious when the caller explained that IRS agents would accompany a sweepstakes representative to her home in order to collect taxes on the award, said Oxnard Police Sgt. Dan Christian. The woman asked why taxes had to be paid before she actually got the money and told the caller that if he was legitimate he would meet her at her bank for the transaction. Upon hearing this, the caller hung up.

Police asked anyone who has lost money in a similar scenario to call them at 385-7600.