“Sweepstakes Winner” Almost Got Swindled Says Bloomfield Twp Police
(Bloomfield Township Police, Sept. 22, 2020)
On 09/19/20 at approximately 7:30 a.m., a Bloomfield Township resident came into our station report he was a victim of Identity Theft.
The victim received a phone call from an unknown subject on the night of 09/18/20, who told him he was a winner of the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes.  In order to claim his $500,000 prize, the victim provided the caller with his credit card information and purchased a Visa gift card for $500.
While purchasing the gift card, the store employee advised the victim that the call was a “scam”, and not to provide the information listed on the card.  When our victim called the suspect back, the suspect asked for the gift card information.  Our victim refused to provide the caller with the information and hung up the phone.  The case is currently under investigation.
The Bloomfield Township Police Department encourages the public to periodically monitor their credit records and to be vigilant against any persons soliciting personal or financial information by email or by phone.
NOTE:  Police Reports come directly from the Police Department or agency involved and are written by the person or agency listed below the title.  We generally run these “as is” or with minimal editing for punctuation, spelling, etc. Suspects should not be presumed guilty.  Those needing more information about a case are encouraged to follow up with the reporting agency or court system for the most current information.