Publishers Clearing House Scam in NE Iowa

The Floyd County Sheriff's Office is warning area residents of a telephone scam.

The latest incident happened at about 7:30pm Thursday to a resident in Charles City.

Someone posing as a representative of Publisher's Clearing House called the resident, seeking funds.

Residents are reminded not to send checks or money orders to anyone you do not know; or cash a check and the other party expects something in return.

Don't give out private information, including bank account numbers or social security numbers.

The sheriff notes that some of these calls will show up with an area code of "867", which originates from Jamaica.

If you get such a call, just hang up. More information on avoiding scams is available from the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Information Page, at http://www.consumer.ftc.gov. Click on the "Privacy and Identity" button at the top of the page.