Elders fleeced in lottery scam

Dec 9, 2005, 10:45 am (7 comments)

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Several Massachusetts seniors have paid a hefty price after falling prey to a Canadian lottery scam, Danvers Police announced this week, and they've issued a public warning.

"Danvers has had four incidents this year, with victim's losing an average of $8,000," Sgt. Robert Bettencourt said.

Recouping the losses will be tricky, police said, since the suspects based in Canada are using false identities to claim the cash and moving on to other victims assuming a new identity.

The elderly residents were contacted by mail and phone by individuals telling the unsuspecting seniors they had won millions in a Canadian lottery, Bettencourt said. The victims were told they would first have to pay off taxes on the winnings in order to receive their millions in lottery winnings.

"These individuals were asked to wire the money to Canada using Western Union," Bettencourt said. "After sending the money, sometimes they are called back and asked to send more."

"Western Union advises our customers that using the money transfers is a great way to get money to family and friends," Sherry Johnson, Western Union corporate communications manager said Tuesday, "However, we advise all our customers not to ever send money to strangers."

Western Union is a person-to-person service, Johnson said. Pay-outs are made at various Western Union locations, including Canada, and it's a system easily abused if you do not personally know the person to whom you're wiring the money.

"We require individuals claiming money to present identification and know the specifics of the transaction," Johnson said. "We educate our agents on the types of fraud, but it's difficult to stop unless the consumer wiring the money tells the agent the purpose of payment."

The most recent scam involving a Danvers victim occurred on Nov. 29, police said. An elderly man was bilked out more than $10,000 he sent through a Western Union wire transfer at a Middleton office. After claiming the cash in Canada, the same man called the victim asking for more money to complete the transaction. The second request was not met after the victim's friends intervened and advised him to contact police.

Although Johnson could not provide details of this specific incident, she did say that the wire transfer company works cooperatively with law enforcement in all fraud investigations. In an effort the thwart the illegal activity, all U.S. Western Union agents receive a monthly newsletter advising of fraud trends, Johnson said.

Three other similar Danvers scams occurred earlier this year in January, July and September, police said. Four incidents occurred last year.

Danvers Herald

Comments

DoubleDown

As long as we have money, there will always be someone trying to steal it.

This will never stop.

 

Chewie

Do these people live on the fifth level of a silo?  No television, no newspapers, no radio, no telegraph station, no neighbors, no one to talk to?  How isolated do you have to be to miss the news flash: Scam, do not participate!  Its not like this hasn't happened before. 

CASH Only

Maybe scams especially target seniors in Massachusetts (and NY) since the MA Lottery has many annuity-only prizes, since the false mailings often promote "lump sum".

demonter

 This Canadian Lottery Scam is so bad, in Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has placed billboard ads along highways telling people not to send money to people claiming to be from the Canadian Lottery. These criminal con men prey on seniors and small town folks that are quite trusting. Notice they never beat any people from Brooklyn or Jersey City. People in the NYC area don't beleive their own mothers when they are told something. The sweet, honest country people get hit. When you win a prize, you don't send money, you receive money! Geez!!!!

Littleoldlady's avatarLittleoldlady

That same scam is making its way around in my town now..it has been on the TV more than once but there are still some who are non believers...I guess with Christmas coming a lot of people would rather believe that Santa is giving them this "money".

demonter

Who would send money to a voice on the phone? Answer: A very sheltered, naieve person, without "street smarts", who trusts people at their word.

CASH Only

I check my mail carefully. I don't remember getting a scam letter like this; then again I'm "only" 42.

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