South Lake Tahoe resident victim of international phone scam

An elderly South Lake Tahoe resident is the victim of a phone scam where he sent a undisclosed amount of money to unknown people. The phone number initiating the scam was from the area code 876, which is Jamaica.

The resident called SLT Police Department to alert them that he received phone calls from people he didn't know who were trying to obtain money from him. The victim was told by the caller that he was stuck in customs and needed help getting out. The suspect convinced the elderly victim to send him a large amount of money.

The scammer then called back and tried to convince the victim to give them additional money with an addition scam, saying he won the lottery.

Area code 876 is located in Jamaica and has been the source for a variety of international scams. You can learn more here:
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/did-you-get-call-area-code-876

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department reminds residents never to send or transfer money to people calling unsolicited. Even if the caller reports to be from a legitimate business, you can always verify this by calling the business’ listed customer service number. Never call back any number provided by the caller.

Additionally, never give out personal information over the phone to anyone calling you unsolicited. That includes your name, birth date, social security number, debit/credit card numbers, or any banking information. Millions of dollars are lost each year nationwide through scams such as these.