Scam Alert: NPD investigating sweepstakes scam

Lt. Tom Williams tells us an 84-year-old woman who lives on Ida Avenue contacted the Norwood police yesterday after receiving a phone call informing her she had won a million dollars from a sweepstakes she had entered at Walmart. The caller told her that in order to collect her winnings, she needed to send a money order (amount unknown) for processing fees incurred.

“This is a fairly common scam, and the elderly are often the target,” according to Lt. Williams. Residents need to be on the alert for calls coming from area code 876, the area code for Jamaica. The scammers frequently tell their victims they entered the sweepstakes at Walmart. Lt. Williams added, “We’re asking everyone to spread the word about this scam, especially to our elderly neighbors.”