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Man loses $25,000 in scam

Posted at 8:55 PM, Jan 29, 2015
and last updated 2015-01-29 20:57:31-05

Edgar Wollam, an owner of a popular restaurant, was scammed out of $25,000 after receiving a call saying he won 3.5 million dollars.

It all started when Wollam received a call stating he won a large amount of money, but all he had to do was pay the fees.

"They start at a relatively low sum, maybe $300-$400, then they keep going up and before you know it you're in the thousands," says fraud victim, Edgar Wollam. The conman continued the scam, telling Wollam he had also won a Mercedes Benz.

"They try to convince you they are your friends and want to make sure you get your money," says Wollam. Next thing Wollam knew all of his savings were gone, money he had saved to take care of his family.

"List brokers take those names and pass them on to other people who are trying to get ahold of you. They are looking for that 4%-6% response rate on those thousand names they send out," says U.S. Postal Inspector, Christopher Carillo. "If you don't know the number. Don't answer the phone."

By Katie Vu, WTKR Intern