Residents Of Pittsburgh Suburbs Warned About Jamaica Phone Scam

News Americas, Allegheny County, PA, Thurs. July 24, 2014: Residents in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Allegheny County are being warned to be wary of a telephone scam apparently based in Jamaica.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. says callers using the ‘876’ area code have targeted residents of Whitehall Borough and South Fayette Townships in recent days. 876 is a Jamaica, West Indies zip code.

Zappala claim the callers say they work for Publisher’s Clearing House — the legitimate sweepstakes firm — and tell residents they’ve won a prize but must first send a check to cover processing fees.

He is warning residents to always refuse to send money when they’re contacted by phone about any sweepstakes prize or similar offer.

Residents can also avoid the calls altogether by having their phone company block any calls from the Jamaica area code.