Fake lottery scam targets truckers in northern Utah
Apr 18, 2024, 6:42 PM | Updated: 7:18 pm
WILLARD, BOX ELDER COUNTY — Police in Willard are asking for help finding the people behind a scam and robbery targeting truckers.
Officer Jordan Harper with the Willard Police Department said that the three men could be just passing through Utah, much like the victims they target.
Harper said police are still determining which role each of the men plays, but it starts with a good Samaritan pitch.
One truck driver told police he was targeted Tuesday at approximately 4:30 p.m. at a Flying J in Willard.
“(He reported) that a group of individuals came up to him and said that they had won the lottery, and they were giving money out to truck drivers,” Harper said of the incident. “They were asking the truck drivers to pull out their cash to see how much they had. And then they would double it. And for some individuals, they were giving $200 out.”
While that sounds like a pretty good deal, but once the trucker pulls out his cash, Harper said that’s when it all changes.
“They would take it out of their hands and begin counting it to make it seem like they were going to double the money,” he said.
And just like that, the money is gone.
Police said there were reports of other men telling people at the truck stop that someone was giving money to truckers, possibly to attract people to the scheme.
“We do want to warn the public, when they are out at the gas stations in, that please be cautious and alert that people are out there doing that. Sometimes, things are too good to be true,” Harper said.
The police department released photos of the suspects and is asking the public to look for two camper setups that the men may have been traveling in.
If you have any information about this case, you can contact the Willard Police Department through Box Elder County Dispatch at 435-723-6890.
A possible camper that the suspects use. (Wilford Police Department)
