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Sweepstakes Phone Scam Reported In Homer

Better Business Bureau

A common phone scam is making a reappearance on the Kenai Peninsula.

According to Homer Police, a Bay Avenue caller reported the scam on Tuesday. Sergeant Larry Kuhns says this is a common complaint.

“Just before 11 a.m. a local Homer resident reported that he had gotten a call from somebody indicating that they had won Publishers Clearing House and that the person who came in needed to send these folks money to cover the taxes, [and] then they would release his money,” said Kuhns.

Publishers Clearing House deals in sweepstakes, lotteries and cash prizes. However, instead of winning a prize, the potential victim  is asked to wire money in order to collect their winnings.

Michelle Tabler is the Alaska Regional Manager for Better Business Bureau.

“They’re all excited for you, they even tell you that you won a car of your choice, [ask you] what color you want. They even give you a day and time when they’re going to show up at your house. I’ve had people that actually invited all their friends and relatives over because Publishers Clearing House was coming over to deliver this, and of course none of it was true,” said Tabler.

Tabler says scammers from Russia to Jamaica call Americans every day in the hopes of tricking them into transferring money, account information, or both.

If one tactic doesn’t work, scammers might try a different one like claiming to be the Internal Revenue Service or another official organization.

If you receive an unsolicited phone call asking for money or information, it’s likely to be a scam.

You can report incidents to the Better Business Bureau's Scam Tracker or the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Owen Duffy was born and raised in Homer. He began volunteering at KBBI in late 2013, his senior year at Homer High School. After graduating in 2014, he began working at KBBI as a fill-in host. He has hosted Weekend Edition, Morning Edition, and All Things Considered. This year he started a reporting internship with the News Department and plans to study journalism in college.