After a Montco resident lost $130,000, AG warns of sweepstakes scams targeting elderly Pennsylvanians

The Montgomery County resident thought they’d won a Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes.

In reality, they were one of the latest victims of an increasingly common scam targeting elderly people, a ruse that would cost them $130,000, authorities say.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry on Thursday announced charges against Jaime Barham, 25, and Francis Rohan, 24, both New York City residents, alleging that they defrauded and stole from the Montgomery County victim, who was not identified.

“Scams against older Pennsylvanians are particularly devastating because many victims are living on fixed incomes and their life savings,” Henry said in a statement. “These alleged scammers acted with deliberate intent to defraud their victims of significant amounts of money without consideration of the resulting financial distress.”

The state charges come a month after federal prosecutors arrested three people who authorities said stole more than $400,000 from victims, also by conning them into believing they had won the famous Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes.

The victims in the federal case included an 89-year-old woman from Glenolden, Delaware County. After a man called to inform her she had won millions of dollars and a Mercedes Benz, she signed over the deed of her house, prosecutors say, which the scammers told her she needed to do in order to collect her winnings. The woman — who was not identified — also sent them $10,000 and spent $3,000 on new iPhones and cell phone plans.

In Thursday’s case, the Montgomery County victim allegedly sent Barham and Rohan cash and gift cards at the pair’s request.

It does not appear the state and federal cases are connected.

Also on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office announced charges against Qiang Li, of Rye, N.Y., whom authorities said tried to defraud a Lehigh County resident with a computer alert that looked as if it was from an antivirus company.

Li, authorities said, then took over the computer and told the victim they owed $15,000 for the purported antivirus software. Undercover agents intervened, coordinating a cash exchange in a grocery store parking lot before arresting Li.

In light of these two cases, the attorney general’s office warned residents to never send money or gift cards to strangers.

Anyone suspicious about a potential scam can call their local police or the attorney general hotline at 800-441-2555.