CROSSVILLE WOMAN LOSES $3,000 IN FACEBOOK SCAM

iStock_000012732713XSmall-1(Chronicle) A Crossville woman received a message on FaceBook advising her she had won a large sum of money in what sounded incredibly to good to be true. Three thousand dollars later, she realized it was.

By the time the 41-year-old victim realized she had been scammed and called police, it was too late to recover her money and it is unlikely she ever will.

The incident took place on May 12 and was reported to Crossville Police on May 18, according to Ptl. Terry Graham’s report. It is just the latest in a series of online and telephone scams to victimize a Cumberland County resident.

In this instance, the Turner Greenhouse Rd. victim reported that she received a message on FaceBook that she had won $75,000 and in order to collect her winnings, she would need to send a money order for $1,000. She did.

When she did not receiving her winnings, the victim was told if she would send another $1,000 via money order, her winnings would go up to $125,000. She did.

After not receiving the $125,000 as promised, she was told to send another $1,000 and her winnings would go up to $200,000. She did.

In the end, she contacted the person on FaceBook who said she was from Arizona, but when given a phone number, it came back to an exchange in Massachusetts. The unknown person who answered the phone and took the victim’s complaint about not receiving her “winnings” told the victim if she would send another $500, she could get a refund.

She didn’t, and called police, instead.

A police investigation reveals the money the victim sent was received at an address in Nigeria, which makes it highly unlikely she will ever see the $3,000 again. – (Crossville Chronicle) http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/local/x1760072385/Victim-coughs-up-3-000-in-online-scam