United Way scam offers $50K prize

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – For a second time this year, a United Way of Central Indiana ’s name is being used as partial of a esteem endowment scam. This time, a target is secretly told they can win $50,000.

“I’m unequivocally angry by a total thing,” pronounced Ellen Annala, President as well as CEO of United Way of Central Indiana.

Annala pronounced people have been being lured in to a fraud with a $3,200 fraudulent check.

“We’ve had calls from Ohio, from Tennessee,” pronounced Annala.

Robert Duncan called a United Way.

“It’s a fraud as well as we knew it from a start,” pronounced Duncan of Indianapolis.

Duncan got a check, along with a letter, revelation him to deposition it as well as afterwards have a $2,900 taxation remuneration to get a $50,000 check.

“This is excessive to make use of a non-profit which has credit via a United States to take value of people during a time when they have been hurting,” pronounced Annala.

24-Hour News 8 called a explain representative as well as was told to deposition a check in a checking account.

“If an particular cashes this as well as puts it in their comment as well as afterwards writes a check upon it, they have been liable,” pronounced Annala.

Duncan took a usual clarity approach.

“It’s similar to a aged observant goes, if it’s as well great to be true, it positively is. My winning $50,000 is about next to to being struck by lighting. we disbelief really severely any a single one of them is starting to happen,” pronounced Duncan.

The United Way has alerted a FBI, JP Morgan Chase as well as a U.S. Postal Service.

Officials pronounced if we get a duplicate of a scam, inform it to your U.S. Postal Inspector or a Better Business Bureau.