Police Warn of Cash Prize Scam

At least one person in Newport Beach was targeted this week in a fraud scam where a suspect offers a cash prize to a resident and claims to be a "specific" police department employee, an official reported.

The scam was first reported within the last week after a suspect called a resident and said he/she won a large cash prize, but had to pay a fee in order to claim it, according to Jennifer Manzella, spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Police Department.  

"So far we have one confirmed instance of this scam, and a second under investigation," Manzella said.

In order to put the victim at ease during the phone call, the suspect assures he/she the prize is not part of a scam and offers to have police call the resident to confirm that it is legit.

"The victim is then contacted by another suspect, who claims that he is an employee of the Newport Beach Police Department," Manzella explained. "The suspect is able to alter his caller ID information, so that the call appears to be coming from the Newport Beach Police Department."

The suspect also identifies himself using the name of a specific Newport Beach Police Department employee and tells the victim it is reasonable for a fee to be charged before the cash prize can be given.

"The Newport Beach Police Department would never actually validate this type of transaction, or initiate a phone call to a member of the community to encourage the payment of funds to an unknown third party," Manzella said.

Manzella could not confirm if the suspects were successful in stealing the resident's money or identity.