HOBOKEN – A 78-year-old Hoboken resident transferred $400 to what she believed was an over-the-phone sweepstakes worker last weekend, after the man claimed that she had won $3.5 million and only needed a processing fee to transfer the winnings.
According to a police report, the woman received a phone call late on Friday from a man who said his name was Agent Anthony Jones of the Sweepstakes Advantage company. Informing the woman that she had won $3.5 million, he began to ask questions about the woman’s bank accounts and living situation.
According to the report, the woman refused to answer his questions, but did purchase a Green Dot Money Pak card worth $405 when the man informed her that he required a processing fee in order for her to receive her winnings. She read the man the card’s serial number over the phone. Records show that the money was collected.
The man said that she would receive her millions on Monday, but the funds never showed up. The man called back several more times, the report said, asking for three further processing fees of $1000, $1000, and $500. The woman refused to transfer any more funds and instead reported the incident to the police. – Dean DeChiaro
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