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Howard County Prosecuting Attorney, Mason R. Gebhardt, has issued a warning to local consumers about three scams which recently have come to his attention
' The first involves a mail solicitation from a company called 'United Trust Claims, Inc.' This involves notification that the individual has been awarded a prize and has an enclosed check, (which is fraudulent but looks official), which the individual is to cash to help pay for taxes and insurance on the winnings. Before the prize can be awarded you are required to transfer money from your account to this phony company. By the time the check they send bounces, your money is gone and you will be held accountable for re-paying the funds to the bank at which the check was cashed.
' The next scam consists of a phone call you might receive from 'Medical Health Systems' or 'American Management Medical Systems' in which they offer supplemental coverage to pay for filings that Medicare, Medicaid or your personal insurance will not cover.
Again, you are simply to send them a check in the mail to pay for this gap coverage, and thereafter they will make monthly withdrawals from your account. This company does not exist as far as the Prosecutor's Office can determine. Gebhardt states: 'Gap coverage is obviously provided by reputable insurance companies, but anything involving a solicitation over the phone wanting account information should be ignored. Check out any company before giving any information to them.'
' The final scam involves e-mail solicitations which purportedly come from the Internal Revenue Service informing you that you have a tax refund available to you. Again, personal and financial information is requested before the refund can be processed, Gebhardt stated.
'This e-mail looks very official and does have the IRS logo on the message,' he said. 'I spoke with Internal Revenue out of Kansas City and was informed that the IRS does not send out e-mails. All communications from them are in writing through the mail. Do not reply to this e-mail.'
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