Warsaw Man Cautions Public Of Mail Scams
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The letters claim he is a winner of hundreds and millions of dollars. He even has received voucher checks made out to him.
It also is not uncommon for people to call him at all hours of the day telling him he is a winner of funds.
They also advise him to send a money order, and then his cash award will be delivered to him.
Conley, 71, Warsaw, retired in 2000 from being a maintenance supervisor for Gaska Tape Inc., Elkhart, after 20 years.
"It's gotten to where I look everyday for a scam letter because they have been coming pretty regularly," Conley said. "For every legal bill I get, I get a dozen illegal letters, as I call them."
He has received as many as 18 scam letters in one day. Conley has contacted the Indiana Attorney General Office about the issue as well as local law enforcement.
Kosciusko County Sheriff William "Rocky" Goshert said it is not uncommon this time of the year with people receiving tax refunds to also receive scam letters promising funds.
He said Kosciusko County residents are not the only ones receiving these letters.
Residents in other counties also are receiving the letters, and the Sheriff's Association has recently been in discussion alerting other law enforcement in the state that this is occurring in their communities.
Goshert said 90 percent of these scam letters target the elderly, and those who send the letters often ask for a bank account number to deposit funds.
Goshert advises if a person receives such a letter in the mail to not respond to it, and stop in or call the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department to have personnel investigate the letter.
One time Conley got home and there were seven messages on his machine asking him if he had sent money.
"I tell them the only time someone gets money out of me is if they show up on my doorstep with my award," Conley said.
Conley became concerned about the scams when he received a $4,000 check last November that was made out to him that said it was from an attorney in California.
He took it into the bank and showed it to the cashier who noticed a mark on the check that made it invalid, a flaw that he hadn't originally noticed. The bank discovered it was a voided check.
"Something told me to talk to the cashier about the check. If I had walked up to the teller they would have cashed it and it would have bounced and the charges would have come back to me," Conley said.
Conley began receiving letters in late 2008 in the mail claiming he was the winner of funds. One letter even promised him a vehicle.
To get his award, they request he complete an award claim form and mail a $10 claim fee.
The first winner selection notice he received stated he was a confirmed winner of $25,000 from North Shore Animal League America, New York.
He responded to the letter and donated $5 to the league, but never received the $25,000.
He also received a notice from Publisher's Clearing House in 2008 stating that he was eligible to receive funds. The letter also said he needed to send money to help with secretary work to get him his money.
Although he has learned to not respond to the letters, he wants to warn others to not fall for the scams, especially the elderly.
"The good Lord has given me wisdom to recognize the falsity that is targeting the elderly who desire this money for their kids and grandchildren," Conley said.
He has received hundreds of letters since 2008 claiming he is a winner of money.
He has shredded more than 1,000 scam letters since 2008, but still has hundreds of the letters.
The most recent scam letter he received last week was from Sweepstakes Clearing House, Texas.
The business mailed him credit vouchers for $400 that are product specific.
The only thing Conley could purchase using the checks are for specific products.
With the checks was a pamphlet with photos and prices of the item-specific products that could be purchased using the voucher such as computers, camcorders and cooking sets.
However, the items advertised cost double the $400 that the check is made out for so he would have to spend his own money to purchase the items.
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The letters claim he is a winner of hundreds and millions of dollars. He even has received voucher checks made out to him.
It also is not uncommon for people to call him at all hours of the day telling him he is a winner of funds.
They also advise him to send a money order, and then his cash award will be delivered to him.
Conley, 71, Warsaw, retired in 2000 from being a maintenance supervisor for Gaska Tape Inc., Elkhart, after 20 years.
"It's gotten to where I look everyday for a scam letter because they have been coming pretty regularly," Conley said. "For every legal bill I get, I get a dozen illegal letters, as I call them."
He has received as many as 18 scam letters in one day. Conley has contacted the Indiana Attorney General Office about the issue as well as local law enforcement.
Kosciusko County Sheriff William "Rocky" Goshert said it is not uncommon this time of the year with people receiving tax refunds to also receive scam letters promising funds.
He said Kosciusko County residents are not the only ones receiving these letters.
Residents in other counties also are receiving the letters, and the Sheriff's Association has recently been in discussion alerting other law enforcement in the state that this is occurring in their communities.
Goshert said 90 percent of these scam letters target the elderly, and those who send the letters often ask for a bank account number to deposit funds.
Goshert advises if a person receives such a letter in the mail to not respond to it, and stop in or call the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department to have personnel investigate the letter.
One time Conley got home and there were seven messages on his machine asking him if he had sent money.
"I tell them the only time someone gets money out of me is if they show up on my doorstep with my award," Conley said.
Conley became concerned about the scams when he received a $4,000 check last November that was made out to him that said it was from an attorney in California.
He took it into the bank and showed it to the cashier who noticed a mark on the check that made it invalid, a flaw that he hadn't originally noticed. The bank discovered it was a voided check.
"Something told me to talk to the cashier about the check. If I had walked up to the teller they would have cashed it and it would have bounced and the charges would have come back to me," Conley said.
Conley began receiving letters in late 2008 in the mail claiming he was the winner of funds. One letter even promised him a vehicle.
To get his award, they request he complete an award claim form and mail a $10 claim fee.
The first winner selection notice he received stated he was a confirmed winner of $25,000 from North Shore Animal League America, New York.
He responded to the letter and donated $5 to the league, but never received the $25,000.
He also received a notice from Publisher's Clearing House in 2008 stating that he was eligible to receive funds. The letter also said he needed to send money to help with secretary work to get him his money.
Although he has learned to not respond to the letters, he wants to warn others to not fall for the scams, especially the elderly.
"The good Lord has given me wisdom to recognize the falsity that is targeting the elderly who desire this money for their kids and grandchildren," Conley said.
He has received hundreds of letters since 2008 claiming he is a winner of money.
He has shredded more than 1,000 scam letters since 2008, but still has hundreds of the letters.
The most recent scam letter he received last week was from Sweepstakes Clearing House, Texas.
The business mailed him credit vouchers for $400 that are product specific.
The only thing Conley could purchase using the checks are for specific products.
With the checks was a pamphlet with photos and prices of the item-specific products that could be purchased using the voucher such as computers, camcorders and cooking sets.
However, the items advertised cost double the $400 that the check is made out for so he would have to spend his own money to purchase the items.
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