HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — What was supposed to be a quiet morning for Joyce Jones instead became a moment she will never forget.
"I was laying in bed and I got a call, a FaceTime call. I answered the phone he said, 'Congratulations, you've won $4.5 million,'" Jones said.
The caller offered to deposit the money directly into Jones' account, which put her on edge.
"I said, 'Why you calling me from the Bank of America? I don't do business with them,'" Jones said.
That was just the first red flag. The caller stumbled over details, even claiming she was now a billionaire, despite earlier saying the prize was $4.5 million. The man continued to push, asking where to send the money and offering an alleged badge number claiming the prize was legit. But Jones heard enough.
"I got upset by then and I hung up in his face," Jones said.
Instead of ignoring it, Jones took action and called Henrico Police to report it. She then reached out to CBS 6 because she feared someone else, especially a senior, might not recognize the warning signs.
We reached out to police to see if they are seeing an uptick in this particular scheme known as a lottery scam. Victims are told they have won a large sum of money, but must first share personal information or send money to claim their prize. In many cases, scammers already have basic details about you, making the call feel even more real.
"The worst part, he knew my name and my address, and I was like, 'Oh my God,'" Jones said.
From Jan. 1 to March 6 of this year, the department has had 60 reported fraud cases. This is why police urge folks to watch for these red flags: unexpected calls claiming you have won money, requests for personal or banking information, being pressured, and payment requests through gift cards or unusual methods.
Now, Jones shares this message.
"If you get a phone call saying that you win some money and you know it's unbelievable, don't fall for it," Jones said.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
