PHOENIX — Every year, about this time, we watch an unsuspecting person become a Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes winner. Winners can get anywhere from a few thousand to $10 million.
Al thought maybe this was his lucky year. The Valley senior and Korean War vet got a call saying that he was this year's big sweepstakes winner.
"I'm thinking wow. This is it. I really hit it," Al says.
The caller said Al won $8 million and a new Mercedes, which he always wanted.
To get his millions, the caller told Al he only had to pay taxes, processing, and delivery costs first.
He would do that with a $9,500 check.
"I said this is too much money out of my bank account for this," Al told the caller.
But he was told all of the money would be reimbursed later.
So, Al took the check to Chase Bank and deposited it into an account as instructed.
Looking back, Al says "I'm 90 years old, I'm gullible I guess."
He had been scammed. While he says he was skeptical, he ignored the warning signs: winning a contest he never entered, an over-the-top prize, and paying upfront to get it.
The real Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes never operates this way. As a senior, Al was a target.
The caller knew his name and used it to gain trust.
When Al's family found out, they contacted Chase but couldn't stop the check.
His $9,500 was gone. But the scammer wasn't done.
"They called back the next morning," says Al's granddaughter Nicole.
They needed another $15,000.
At this point, Al was in deep, had his eye on the prize, and couldn't resist.
"He had another check written out. He was literally in the drive-thru of Chase Bank," Nicole says.
But Al's daughter found out and caught him at the bank's window stopping her dad from being scammed again.
Al says he was skeptical, but still let it happen.
"It doesn't feel good at all. It makes you feel like a real sucker," he says.
These scammers are slick, practiced, and know the right things to say. We contacted Al's bank, Chase about what happened.
Chase Community Manager Christian Romero says he's seen the same kind of scam many times before.
"Always pause when someone asks you to send or receive something," Romero says.
He says paying to win a prize is also a clear giveaway, it's a scam.
"Just be mindful that no legit company will ever ask you to do that," Romero says.
Then Chase did something Al's family didn't expect.
They credited the $9,500 back to Al's account, delighting his family.
"They kind of looked like little kids on Christmas opening Christmas presents. They were in disbelief," Nicole says.
Nicole had tried to get that money back for her grandfather from day one. She pushed the bank for help, opened cases with law enforcement, and let me know.
"Had I not reached out to you guys, I don't think we would have been as successful," Nicole says.
Another problem solved!
For privacy reasons, Chase would only say they take these situations on a case-by-case basis.
It's important to have a conversation with your parents or grandparents about these scams before they are the next target.
Al is now doing something I say everyone should do.
He lets all unknown calls go to voicemail!
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