John Kelly
Fleeced me for $500 claiming he had a package with $300,000 to deliver to me

Yesterday (9/28) I received a phone call from someone who said he was John Kelly with UPS in San Diego. He said he had a package containing $300,000 to deliver to me. On request, he told me it was from Winners Circle in Las Vegas. Since I regularly enter PCH sweepstakes, I assumed this was something legitimate from PCH.

Mr. Kelly told me it would be necessary for me to send $190 to someone named Manuel Rendon in Corona, CA via Western Union. This was explained to be for delivery and related charges. I was to do that and then call Mr. Kelly with the MTCN number from the receipt. I did those things and he told me he would visit me at my home today (9/29) to complete the delivery.

This morning Mr. Kelly called me to say he was en route to my house and had been stopped in Wellington, CO by the IRS, who demanded payment of $1,500 in order for them to put an IRS stamp on the shipment. He said I needed to go to Western Union again and send $1,500 to Manuel Rendon in Temecula, CA, then call Mr. Kelly and give him the MTCN number from the receipt. I told him this was smelling very bad to me and I would not do it. He subsequently called me back and said he had polled the guys who were traveling with him and collectively they came up with $1,200. He told me he needed me to send the additional $300 to Manuel Rendon via Western Union. I reluctantly agreed and did that.

Mr. Kelly then called me again and explained there had been a delay in getting the IRS to provide their stamp, but that was now done and he would be coming soon. It's now about 4 hours later and he has not appeared. Later he called and said he had been stopped by government people who insisted they had to apply their own stamp to the package, and that would cost $5,000, but not to worry because he would pay that by getting the money from his credit card. He was to call me again when that was completed.

I did not hear again from Mr. Kelly for a while, so I called him for a status report. He said he was just then getting the government stamp applied and he would be at my home soon. I still have not seen him.

When he called yesterday, Mr. Kelly gave me the following phone numbers:
Office 707-343-1511
Cell 876-412-7849

I now know the office number is from the Eureka, or extreme northern area of California, and the cell number is from Jamaica. Obviously, neither is very close to San Diego. I also called UPS in San Diego to inquire if John Kelly worked there, but I was told that's classified information and could not be shared.

I checked with Western Union and learned that both the $190 and the $300 have been delivered to someone. So it is now obvious to me I have been scammed for a total of $522 (sum of the face amounts plus Western Union charges). I am angry about this. I do not fault PCH for any of this, just myself for falling for the scam. I've tried just now to call Mr. Kelly and he is not responding.

Company: John Kelly
Country: USA
State: California
City: San Diego
Address: Do not have
Phone: 7073431511

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