A fraudster claiming to be with the Publishers Clearing House has been calling Woodstock residents.
WOODSTOCK - You should never give out your personal information or send money to an organization that contacts you over the phone or the internet.
That's the message the Woodstock Police Service would like to get across after receiving reports of a scam in the area.
Police say someone has been calling people claiming to be from the Publishers Clearing House in New York.
They will say that you won a substantial amount of money but you have to send them $10,000 in order to pay the taxes on the winnings. They will ask that the money be sent through your bank or rolled up in a magazine so it can be mailed to a certain address.
Police say the real Publishers Clearing House in New York does have sweepstakes and prize-based games, but it does not contact its winners over the phone or e-mail.
You should never call back the number a scammer uses to contact you, because your number will then be sent to call centres for other scams. Police say fraudsters will also try to send you a fake cheque in the mail, claiming that it's a partial prize award and you need to send a portion of it back to receive the full amount.

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