WIMMERA residents have been warned to be alert to potential scams, after one resident reported a suspicious letter to police.
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A Horsham woman, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted Horsham police and the Mail-Times after she received a letter from a Spanish lawyer saying she could receive a half-share in $9.1 million.
The letter states a business magnate with the same last name as the woman had died along with his wife and two children.
The ‘lawyer’ Eliseo Bernad Pina asked the woman to stand in as next of kin to claim the man’s fortune.
He states the woman might not be related to the business magnate but due to a common surname, he would arrange for her to receive the money.
“Please mind you that we don’t need to make undue publicity as this can hamper the process taking into cognizance that we are not quite sure if you’re really related,” the letter states.
The letter said the woman and the lawyer would split the $9.1 million equally.
Horsham station commander Senior Sergeant Brendan Broadbent said it wasn’t the first time the scam had been seen in the region.
“We don’t see a lot but they seem to run reasonably intermittently,” he said.
“This scam has raised it’s head around the community on previous occasions.
“Scammers generally send out messages right across the world to thousands and thousands of people.
“One scammer might be caught so we might have an intermittent time until another steps up and sends out something again.”
Senior Sergeant Broadbent said it was important residents were alert and contacted police or ScamWatch if they suspected a scam.
“The main message is if it sounds too good to be true – it probably is,” he said.
“If it’s ATO talking tax or your wealthy uncle left you a fortune – take steps to check it out and make sure everything is correct and valid before jumping in and providing money.
“If it’s a legitimate charity or government department and they contact on the phone, which they don’t often do, it’s quite easy to validate the correct phone number.”
Senior Sergeant Broadbent said residents should visit https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/ or follow @SCAMWATCH_GOV on twitter for latest scam update.
He said people could also visit Horsham Police Station to receive a scam watch pamphlet.
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
