Two reports were made to the McCracken Sheriff's Department today regarding scams aimed at elderly residents in McCracken County.

The two reported today involve telephone calls being made (from Jamaica) to residents here locally informing them that they have won the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes in the amount of 3 1/2 million dollars. The caller represented himself as being with the United Parcel Service requesting to know whether or not the homeowner was going to be home within the hour, that they would be delivering the 3 1/2 million dollar check, but that the resident would have to write a check to them for $3,450.00 dollars for insurance.

The other complaint involved a check being mailed to a resident for several thousand dollars on a BB&T Bank check. The check was bogus, and BB & T Bank was contacted by the victim. The check was from a Canadian Lottery but on a BB&T (out of the State of Georgia) account, that was fictitious. In this instance as well as the first, the scammers were demanding a payment to them to receive the award.

In both of these instances, the man that calls to follow-up on these awards, speaks with a Jamaican accent.

"We understand that there have been lots of warnings by law enforcement of such scams, but we want to make sure they our residents keep their guard up and not be victimized by these scams. We will continue to when possible to keep the public aware of these as we learn of them."