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Man 'terrorized' by scam in Hazleton
[January 01, 2013]

Man 'terrorized' by scam in Hazleton


Jan 01, 2013 (The Citizens' Voice - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Scams to collect a financial gain are always changing, but one thing that remains constant is the monetary loss and emotional stress of the victims.



A woman who declined to give her name told the Standard-Speaker her uncle was recently a victim of a crime that has "terrorized" his life, and hopes her story will prevent others from falling into the same trap.

Earlier this month, her uncle, who is in his 70s and lives in Hazleton, began receiving calls promising lottery winnings. All the senior citizen had to do, he was instructed, was go to Walmart, buy debit cards and then read the card numbers over the phone to a person.


The man spent his hard-earned cash within a few days, fixated on the promise of a monetary reward. He was told not to tell anyone about the deal, and for a few days he didn't. When he eventually told his niece about the phone calls, she immediately was concerned that her uncle was the victim of a scam.

The woman said though she was convinced early on that a crime was taking place, her uncle wasn't as easily convinced, even after she told him it was a scam.

"They had him brainwashed. He thought he was going to win the lottery," she said.

For days, she said, her uncle was told to go to Walmart at certain times and to pace back and forth in the store while purchasing the cards of varying denominations so that the "lottery staff" would know it was him purchasing the card, as if he was being watched. Once he purchased the card he would read its numbers to the "lottery person" over the phone, and that's how they gained access to his cash.

The man's niece was unsure of how much cash they received from her uncle but said she found store receipts for prepaid debit cards of varying large denominations.

The scammers were persistent in calling him, even after family members finally convinced the man to refuse to pick up the phone when they called.

"This was terrorizing his life," she said. They also left his loved ones feeling defenseless to protect him.

To this day, the niece said she is unsure how the scammers got her uncle's phone number but believes some of those involved were local and noted that different people would call him as part of it.

"It's scary," she said.

Though the scammers took her uncle's money, they also created anxiety in him and fear that they would try to physically harm him.

For now, she said, the crime is in the hands of Hazleton police.

City police Detective David Bunchalk said such scams are always changing. In this case, he said, the scammer called from a nonlocal number and requested money be sent to them in the form of gift cards.

People who receive calls and are asked for money in return for a cash prize should hang up, Bunchalk said.

If a person or a company doesn't sound legitimate, he said, ask questions, or hang up and do some research before giving away personal information or agreeing to a deal. He also encouraged people to call their local police if something sounds peculiar.

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," Bunchalk said.

Anyone who may have information on this scam in particular is asked to call Hazleton police at 911.

[email protected] 570-455-3636 ___ (c)2013 The Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) Visit The Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) at citizensvoice.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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