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Who wouldn't want to claim a prize if Donald Trump and Walmart were involved?

Thanks to Sheila of Colorado Springs for telling me about her telephone encounter with some cagey crooks.

Sheila's caller used the name Mark Myers and claimed to be right here in the Springs. How funny. His area code is Jamaica!

Mark told Sheila she had won $2.5 million because she was a Walmart customer and had taken part in a store survey.

He claimed he would soon have someone personally hand-deliver her check.

But first, he told Sheila she had to do one thing. He wanted her to go to Walmart and purchase a Green Dot card, which is a reloadable prepaid debit card.

It seems his goal was to get her to put $150 on the card and then give him the account number so he could use the funds to pay her taxes on her prize.

How clever! Instead of instructing Sheila to go to a Western Union and wire funds, he's simply asking for the Green Dot account number so he can steal her money that way.

Sheila was assured this was not a scam. She was also told the contest had many reputable partners like "The Donald," Walmart and Verizon.

Sheila says she knows better than to do as Mark demands. She wanted to share her story with you so you'll have the scoop, too.

I always tell people not to wire money through Western Union to a stranger.

Now I have to add another warning. Don't buy a prepaid debit card and give someone the account number.

The crooks are clever. We just have to be smarter than they are.