Modesto Couple Not Falling For Sweepstakes Scam

Modesto, CA - A Modesto couple who received a check in the mail along with a letter claiming they had won a sweepstakes became suspicious and contacted the Modesto Police Department.  Investigators looked into the case and uncovered a scam.

Kent Olsen, and his wife, Jayne, received a letter in the mail on Monday with a check for almost $4,000 made out to them.  The letter indicated it was from Del Financial, a division of Del Corporation and said the couple had won $57,000 during a random drawing from Reader’s Digest Online Sweepstakes.  The letter instructed the couple to deposit the check which would cover the administrative costs of their winnings.  After the check was deposited they would then need to call the phone number in the letter and work out arrangements to send money to the company for the administrative costs.  Then their winnings would then be sent to them.  

The Olsen’s were suspicious and contacted the Modesto Police Department.  The information was routed to Lieutenant Gary Watts who is assigned to the department’s Investigative Services Division.  Lieutenant Watts immediately recognized this as a scam.  Lieutenant Watts called the phone number on the letter and pretended to be another “winner” with a made up name.  The man on the other end of the line had a thick accent and instructed Lieutenant Watts to deposit the check and then call back for instructions on how to send the company money to cover the administrative costs.  Only then would he be able to collect his winnings.  “I finally told the guy I was a police officer and he hung up on me,” said Lieutenant Watts.  “I tried to call back but there was no answer.”  Lieutenant Watts said the number appeared to be out of Canada but routed him to somewhere in Africa.

This type of scam is very effective because people actually receive a check in the mail for thousands of dollars and there is a phone number with an actual voice on the other end of the line.  It appears legitimate.  However, after the victims send money to the company they find the check they received has bounced and they never receive their sweepstakes money in the mail.  

As for the Olsen’s, they are happy they checked with police first.  “We were suspicious right away,” said Jayne.  “We were going to just throw the check away, but then I thought the police and others should know about this.”  The Olsen’s still have the check, but only as a reminder that if it appears too good to be true, it probably is.  

The Modesto Police Department has posted a video on their website that discusses these types of scams as well as other types of fraud.  To view the video, click on the link below and watch the video titled “Economic Crimes.”  For information about this news release contact Modesto Police Spokesperson Sergeant Craig Gundlach at (209) 652-3184.