Beware scammers saying you've won a prize

Crook County Sheriff’s Office is reporting an increase in the number of scam reports in this area, which all appear linked by the caller claiming to be from the Publishers Clearing House (PCH).

This is a known scam that the PCH itself has warned against.

If you receive one of these calls, you can expect to be told that you have won a significant cash prize and then asked to send money to a specific place.

The reasons given for this payment, according to the Sheriff’s Office, have ranged from a need to “verify your account” to “paying for the taxes associated with the prize” to “opening a money...