Insider Buzz: Michigan man gets taken by lottery schemeAnn Arbor resident loses $3,150 after being told he won Canadian lottery
An 86-year-old Ann Arbor man was bilked out of $3,150 after he received a letter from Canada claiming he won a lottery and needed to pay the taxes, Ann Arbor police said.
The man called police
Monday and said he received a letter in November, sent to his home on Alpine Drive. He said the letter claimed to be from Capital Financial Trust Inc. in Ontario and said he won a lottery in the amount of $275,000, reports said.
The letter also contained a check in the amount of $3,400, and the man was directed to call a number to activate the check, reports said.
The man said he called the number and spoke to a man who told him to deposit the check and send a money order to an address in Canada in the amount of $2,650. He said the bank advised him the check cleared, so he mailed the money.
The victim said he was then directed to mail a $500 money order for "Fex Ed insurance," which he did. He said he soon received a letter from the bank that the check didn't clear, and his account was overdrawn, reports said.
The incident remains under investigation. Police warn other residents not to respond to similar letters or send funds to anyone claiming they have won a large cash prize.
