Members of a McAllen family say they are now more alert when they answer the phone.

Ricardo Salinas said he got a call over the weekend that could’ve changed his family’s life.

“I had won a prize,” Salinas said when asked what the caller told him. “It was only a second prize, but I was gonna win $2 million with a cashier’s check, $500,000 in cash and my choice of a vehicle."

The caller claimed to be calling from Publishers Clearing House, and told Salinas how he could collect the prizes.

Salinas said he was told to go to a dollar store and purchase two $500 Green Dot MoneyPak prepaid cards to cover the taxes on the prize.

Salinas said his stepson intervened, and warned him it was a scam. 

The family immediately filed a report with the McAllen Police Department. 

The Better Business Bureau says there are classic signs to most scams.

"Gift cards, them asking for your personal information, red flags,” Better Business Bureau of South Texas CEO Hilda Martinez said. “It's best to verify all this information before you actually become a victim."

Salinas said he’s happy his family was able to avoid becoming a victim, adding that he’s sharing his story to let others know “that this is happening. A lot of people need to know because people are very naive and innocent."

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