As scams go, this one is viral.
An elderly Hubbard County resident recently received an official-looking letter from an Illinois hospital. The resident was informed that due to an oversight, an additional $20 was owed on the person's recent flu shot.
The resident was instructed to send payment via check, or complete the credit card information at the bottom of the "bill" and mail it back to the "hospital."
"They picked the right season," Hubbard County Chief Deputy Frank Homer said. "We're in the middle of the flu season. It was the most opportune time to send out something like this and of course they picked on the elderly, our senior citizens."
Homer said many residents wouldn't question such a professionally produced communication, or whether they owed the money if they perused the letter quickly.
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"It looks like a legit bill - that's how crafty they are now," he said.
And the scam artists, if the recipient sends payment, can either then use a credit card or bank account number off a check to do further damage.
Postmaster Denice Phillips-Kunze is no stranger to mail fraud but this was a new scam to her. "This is just terrible," she said.
Both the postmaster and deputy urge people to call law enforcement if they receive such a "bill," or bring it into the post office, where postal officials will forward it on to inspectors for investigation.
"The postal service does not want these any more than anyone else does," Homer said.
