A Connecticut woman is facing charges after she allegedly scammed nearly $300,000 from a 72-year-old man who was told he had won millions from Publishers Clearing House, according to police
The Wallingford Police Department received the initial complaint about the alleged fake Publishers Clearing House scam from the victim on March 4.
According to the Wallingford Police Department, the victim received multiple phone calls informing him that he had won $9.6 million and in order to collect the money, he would have to send money to pay the prize money taxes.
Police said that man’s family discovered seven checks were sent to individuals and five of them were allegedly written to Nyieshia Upchurch of Bridgeport.
The sweepstakes and marketing company had actually filed for Chapter 11 in April, citing growing financial strain that spanned from rising operational costs and changes in consumer behavior.
In Wallingford, probable cause was established to obtain an arrest warrant and the Wallingford police detectives and a task force officer located Upchurch at a family member’s residence in Bridgeport, where she was arrested without incident on Oct. 22, according to the Wallingford Police Department.
Upchurch, 19, is charged with first-degree larceny, first-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, first-degree telephone fraud and first-degree conspiracy to commit telephone fraud, police said.
Police said Upchurch was held in lieu of $75,000 court set bail and is scheduled to appear at Meriden Superior Court at 9 a.m. Nov. 5. The investigation was conducted by the Wallingford Police Department Detective Division.