Yakima Police Warn of Publishers Scam

Yakima Police say a 78-year-old man lost thousands of dollars in a recent scam -- so now they're warning others to spare them from becoming victims.

According to police, on July 20, the man received documents in the mail stating that he had won $10 million from Publishers Clearing House. In addition to the documents, he received a letter and a check for $7,800. The letter stated that he was precluded by law from discussing the prize with any third parties and was given a New York number to call.

He was told that he could deposit the check to help pay for attorney fees and insurance, but that he'd need to deposit $6,900 in cash before he could claim the prize.
However, he was soon contacted by his bank and was told that the check he deposited was fraudulent. That's when the man called police and realized he'd lost a lot of money.

Police say if you receive documents claiming that you have won a prize, use caution, and if you have any questions contact the Yakima Police Department. And they say if anyone asks you to send in money to claim your prize, more than likely they are trying to scam you.