Former cop calling attention to scams

Targeted by two fraud schemes over a short period of time, retired police officer George Hnatchuk is surprised by how sophisticated scams have become.

While many people encounter bogus inquiries and promptly dismiss them, the intrepid 82-yearold Reginan decided to take some time to do a bit of sleuthing.

When he received a letter in February purportedly from Reader’s Digest, Hnatchuk was amazed to learn he was supposedly one of the lucky winners randomly selected and entitled to a lump sum payout of more than US$1.36 million.

The letter warned Hnatchuk to keep his win confidential, part of the alleged security protocol to avoid illegal claims. Out of curiosity, he called to claim his winnings.

Hnatchuk was asked for his name, address and birth date to verify he’d received the letter. He was told the information was required “because there’s a lot of scamming going on and we want to make sure that we get the right people.”

Half an hour later, a man representing himself as a Reader’s Digest employee called Hnatchuk to tell him he’d receive cheques to cover legal expenses.

The caller said when Hnatchuk got his million-dollar prize, the cheques would be deducted from the lump sum. Later in the day, Hnatchuk got a call confirming cheques for $4,881.76 and $4,912.54 were in the mail.

Three days later, two cheques from a Vancouver law firm account arrived in his mailbox. Hnatchuk was supposed to call the scammers after depositing the cheques, but he didn’t.

When Hnatchuk’s bank checked with the law firm named on the cheques, it was told they were either stolen or fraudulent.

Hnatchuk gave the law firm the information on his cheques, offered to courier them to authori- ties and indicated he was willing to provide an affidavit.

“I haven’t heard anything since,” he said.

Nor has he heard from the scammers.

“I think they might have got scared,” he speculates.

A second sketchy incident occurred just four months later. On June 24 he got a call from Publishers Clearing House notifying him he’d won $250,000.

He was told Nationwide Express would deliver the cheque the morning of June 27, but the couriers wouldn’t be dressed as regular couriers because of the fraud that’s going on. He was also told not to say anything to anybody. Hnatchuk played along.

He was given a code number to provide to Goldman and Brown law office in Toronto — the legal firm said to be overseeing the dispersing of funds. However, he discovered no such firm exists.

To calm his fears, the scam artist gave Hnatchuk a number supposedly for the Liquor and Gaming Commission to verify the win’s legitimacy.

The woman who answered told Hnatchuk her name and commission position. But as a cop, he worked with the commission and knew it wouldn’t be involved with Publishers Clearing House. The fake representative called him and said his money was at customs, but to collect it he had to wire $5,000.

Hnatchuk reported the incidents to the Regina Police Service but was told they couldn’t do anything.

He called the RCMP and was told they’d pass his information on to local police.

Disappointed by the police response, Hnatchuk is sharing his story to bring attention to the ways scammers operate.

“There are a lot of scams, but this is as well oiled as I’ve ever seen,” he said. “They’re getting better at it. I feel sorry for people who might fall for these scams.”