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Seneca Scam Costs Thousands

By Brian Hagen

10/03/2014

(KMZA)--A real life example of why personal information should never be shared without verification happened recently in the Nemaha County, Kansas community of Seneca.

Happening there, it could happen anywhere, with an elderly couple losing thousands of dollars to the scammers.

Seneca Police Chief Brent Schulte says the couple received a telephone call that led them to believe they'd won cash, and other prizes. However, they had to send money orders in order to claim those prizes.

Schulte says it was just as the couple was preparing to send several thousand dollars more than the $2,500 they'd already sent, his office intervened, stopping the couple of falling for the scam any further.

Although it's not the norm, authorities were able to track down $1,000 dollars they sent to Pennsylvania and will be returned.

In an unusual twist, the scammer, having gained significant personal information from the couple, was able to use that in order to call the couple's telephone provider and have their number changed.

Schulte says this was done so only the scammer would have the number, leaving everyone else unable to contact the victims.

No personal information of any kind should ever be provided when contacted unexpectedly. Instead, the best bet, authorities say, is to simply hang up.

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