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GoogleThe victim told police he received a letter claiming he was the third place winner in the Reader's Digest Sweepstakes Lottery.
Enclosed with the letter, which said he had won $60,000, was a check for $2,777 to cover taxes and fees associated with claiming the prize, police said.
The man said he deposited the check into his account, withdrew the full amount, then called a telephone number listed in the letter and was told to wire the money to a Toronto address.
The victim's bank informed him four days letter the check was bad, according to police.
Car entered
A wallet, containing personal cards and documents, prescription drugs and a new pair of sunglasses were stolen from a car at Kroger, North Main Street, early Tuesday night, police were told.
The car was unlocked and plastic covered one of the window frames, according to the police report.
Jail intake
The following were arrested since Monday by the Bedford County Sheriff's Department, Shelbyville Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol or 17th Judicial District Drug Task Force. They are only charged; guilt or innocence will be determined by the courts.
* Richard Lee Cummings Jr, 24, Highway 64 West; child abuse/neglect/endangerment; released, $10,000 bond
* Amber Michelle Dean, 20, Center Street; violation of community corrections; released, no bond
* Ashley Nicole Dean, 19, Center Street; violation of community corrections, theft of property; held, no bond
* Ina Mae Draper, 20, Tate Avenue; vandalism; released, no bond
* Vennetta Ceann Hugh, 39, C.E. Adams Road; driving on revoked/suspended license; released, $1,000 bond
* Jennifer Ann Jewell, 26, Sulphur Springs Road; check law; summons delivered
* Charles Presley Jr., 63, Landers Street; sexual battery by an authority figure, solicitation of a minor, contributing to the delinquency of a minor; held, $41,000 bond
* Michael Wayne Reagan, 33, Woodbury; counterfeit controlled substances; released, $5,000 bond
* Robert Edward Schoenly II, 46, Evans Street; manufacturing/delivering/selling controlled substance, possession of schedule II drug, initiation of a process resulting in meth, promotion of methamphetamine manufacture; held, $35,000 bond
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How in this day and age with all the warnings and information does anyone get caught in such a scam. If I don't open the door to TV cameras in my face, 10,0000 baloons, a van marked "PRIZE PATROL" filled with official looking representatives of Readers' Digest, and a check the size of Tennessee. . . I'm not responding!
I do not understand either, who would put a check in their account like that without making sure it is good. Any bank can check on a check on the spot to ensure it is valid.Why would a local bank not do this when the gentleman just turned around and withdrew the same amount. That in itself should have raised a red flag.
I think the t-g should report the bank in question. I'd like to know which bank to avoid.
Yes,I was wondering about that,myself.
Scam artists see the greedy or unworldly as their natural prey but bank officials (by the nature of their jobs) should notice suspicious transactions and warn their customers about the risks.
I'd like to think my bank would red-flag any funds coming from a sweepstakes or going to Nigerian royalty or a puppy mill.
I'm certain they would take a client aside,explain about commonly used tricks and prevent the gullible (or those wanting "something for nothing") from involvement in a fraud.
A simple call to the genuine Reader's Digest headquarters (using a publicly disclosed number rather than that supplied by a possible Murphy artist) would confirm whether or not the customer was truly a sweepstakes winner or had been marked as a loser by criminals.
The grifters choose their targets carefully.
They are charming and know how to use jargon to appear impressive and confuse their victims.
They may not betray themselves with the usual "tells" of someone with evil intent because they often refuse to see themselves as villains.
They see their way of life as a profitable alternative to legitimate work that may be unavailable to them.
They divide the world into predators and prey.
If they build their scam on another's greed,they think the fault lies in the victim's selfishness rather than their own.
("You can't cheat an honest man.")
If they rely on the other person's vulnerability or naivete',then being weak or stupid has placed them at the bottom of the food chain.
Abusing the faith of such a person to bilk them seems as much a part of the natural order as a lion taking down a crippled deer.
Either way,they will decide the "marks" deserved what was done to them.
Even with all the news reports and fictional accounts such as "The Sting" describing their work,con artists succeed at fooling a number of people ignorant of their strategies.
Some scams publicized during the time of the Iliad are still in use today.
Articles like this can make the criminals' task harder but,if we have an obligation to be cautious,those who see us about to make a mistake are honor-bound to advise us and save us from suffering as a result of another's lack of scruples and our own bad choices.
What i want to know is how can Amber Dean keep violating probation and community corrections and be released with no bond.....and her sister be held with no bond. You can never bond out on community corrections violations.
Amber Dean is not out on bond...she is serving a 6 year prison sentence. That is a type-o. Her probation was revoked in full.