COVINGTON, Va. – The Covington Police Department is reminding people to be on high alert for scams.
Officers have recently learned of at least two types of scams affecting the area.
The first involves receiving a check for a large sum with no explanation. The scammer hopes that the person will deposit the check, which can put their banking information at risk.
You could be liable for the amount of the counterfeit check, as your endorsement might give your account information to scammers, or you could receive follow-up attempts to phish for personal financial information.
The second involves winning a foreign lottery. This is yet another scenario in which depositing your "winnings" could put your personal banking information at risk.
In both scenarios, scammers make people think it's their lucky day.
In a Facebook post, Covington police said:
"Please keep in mind…as much as we’d all like to be rich, if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. Only the best things in life are free, and you don’t get those from companies sending you random fake checks or telling you that you won a lottery you didn’t even enter."
The Covington Police Department reminds people to be safe and vigilant. You can report any scams to their nonemergency number: 540-965-6333.