COAL TOWNSHIP - Police remind residents that phone scams are common, and personal information should never be given to anyone over the telephone.
Police said several residents recently have received phone calls from people claiming the called person won a prize or money. The caller asked the "winners" to purchase prepaid credit cards and provide the callers with card numbers, claiming the prize money would be placed on the card. The balances on the cards were then taken and no prizes were given.
Other residents reported they received phone calls from people asking permission to remotely control the called persons' home computers because of a problem with the Windows operating system. The caller then demanded money and threatened to lock the computer.