BRIEF: Sheriff Traces Telephone Scam Back to Jamaica

A man in uncorporated Redwood City called the Sheriff’s Department Friday to report continuous threats for the last three to six moths from someone representing themselves as “Prize Patrol.” The caller had been trying to get the victim to wire him $300 to deliver a prize of $1 million and finally threatened today to shoot him in the head if he did not pay.

“These people are predators and we don’t want people to get intimidated,” Lieutenant Ray Lunny from the Sheriff’s Office said. “They come in all variations, but they all want one thing: money.”

The victim told the deputy that the caller identified himself as “Peter Myers” and the area code traced back to Jamaica. The deputy called the number and asked the man if he threatened the victim. The suspect replied that he was going to shoot the deputy in the head too.

A few minutes after, the victim’s phone rang again and the deputy answered the phone. The caller thought the deputy was the victim and asked why he had called the police. The caller insisted that he wasn't going to shoot the victim and again went through his attempts to get the victim to send him $300 so that he could deliver the prize.

The Sheriff’s Office wants to remind the public that scam artists often use the promise of a valuable prize or award to entice consumers to send money.

Remember:

NEVER pay money with the understanding you are going to receive money – you won’t.

HOLD on to your money. Scammers pressure people to send them money.

FRAUD is a crime. Criminals use the phone to commit many different types of fraud, including sweepstakes and lottery frauds, loan fraud, buying club memberships, and credit card scams.