Wisdom guided an 80-year-old Rockvale woman to simply hang up when a scammer requested personal information after informing her she won $26 million, a sheriff’s deputy reported.

             She received the call from a man advising she won the $26 million, Deputy Mike Romans reported. When she refused to give information, he threatened her.

             “The male subject began to make threats of killing her and her family if she did not give him the information that he needed,” Romans reported.

                       Detective Richard Brinkley said the Rockvale woman was wise to simply hang up because the call was a scam targeting senior citizens. He believes the scam is operated outside the U.S.

             “They randomly call and explain the money you’ve won or that you owe money on some bills you might not be aware of,” Brinkley said.

             The callers direct the person to go to a store and pay for a green dot money order and give them the access code to they can collect the money.

             “They get your money and you’ll never get anything,” Brinkley said.

             The detective recommended citizens simply hang up when they receive calls from unknown people asking for personal information. In the latest scam, the callers use an American name but usually have a strong accent from another country.

             “Don’t give any information such as name, date of birth or address,” Brinkley said.