ROCK SPRINGS — Sheriff Rich Haskell today warned county residents of two telephone scams circulating in Sweetwater County.

“Our office has received a number of reports on a recurrence of the Green Dot scam,” Haskell said on Tuesday.  “People are being told by telephone callers that they have won $499,000 in the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes, but need to first put a fee on a Green Dot card for so-called ‘processing expenses.’ Once the victim has purchased the card, which is a legitimate, reloadable debit card, from Wal-Mart, Walgreen, or other store, he provides the scammer with the card number and the money disappears.”

Haskell said at least one person has fallen victim over the last week, losing $350.

Bogus Jamaican Lottery scam calls are also making the rounds again. Here the caller tells his would-be victim that he has won a huge sum in the Jamaican Lottery, but must pay a tax or processing fee, usually hundreds of dollars, before he can collect his winnings. Once again, the intended victim is instructed to put the sum on a Green Dot debit card, then provide the card information in order to collect.

“Always remember,” Haskell said, “If it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.”

-From a press release