HOUSTON, Tx. — There's a new twist to an old scheme that continues to lure people in. Con-artists have come up with one more way to deceive potential victims of foreign lottery scams.
U.S. Postal Inspector Michael Larson said, "He explained to me... I mean who doesn't dream of winning the lottery? He was contacted and told you have won the lottery and in order to collect that prize money you need to pay the taxes to get it out of the country and to the us."
The victim sent the money. In fact, he sent all of his retirement savings. Larson said, "He said the folks said, 'I don't have any more money to win.' Part of the catch, I'm going to help you out as long as you pay me back some of the money."
And there is a new layer to the foreign lottery scheme.
Larson said, "When he ran out of that money, the scammers started explaining to him, hey look we have sponsors here that can help you." They essentially told other victims they too won the lottery and to send their fee money to the original victim.
The move helped the con-artists perpetuate the scam. Larson said it made it seem more legit because they weren't sending the money to another country.
Postal inspectors warn all consumers to remember that foreign lotteries are illegal.
Another point to remember: No legitimate lottery will ever ask for money upfront, and no legitimate lottery has fees or taxes that need to be paid upfront.
Creeps like this prey upon the greed of their marks.
People need to realize you are not going to win a lottery or sweepstakes you did not buy a ticket or an entry for.
This one sounds especially wicked as it's a combination lottery scam / Ponzi scheme.
They pry themselves on the elderly. We had a elderly member come in the credit union with a "Lottery Check" for $40,000 he had to send them $39,500.
I think it was P.T.Barnum that said "There's a sucker born every minute."Don't be a sucker.If you never played a foriegn lottery,you didn't win a foriegn lottery.
Right about that. The sad thing is these people have no shame.
I avoid any so called winner's phone call where it starts out with the words " Congratulations"- use those words on me when l have a legitimate check in my hands, anything other than that. ..forget it.
Some people never grow up, they were given gifts freely with no strings attached by Santa Claus when when they were a child and they still think somebody wants to give them something for nothing now that they have grown up.
Sometimes it isn't greed or immaturity but desperation or a real desire to help people that gets some of the elderly caught up in these situations. There was a case in Maryland where and elderly gentleman had exhausted all avenues for being able to care for his ill wife at home and got caught up in one of these schemes because the money promised to him would have allowed him to hire help and not have to place her in a nursing home.
I am curious...does the credit union or a bank get involved with that at all? Do they explain it is a scam or can they deny the customer the right to their money when illegal activity is suspected? Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer.
Scammers are really abhorrent. They take advantage of innocent people. People should be smart enough not to fall for their schemes. As a player we should be reminded that if we didn't purchase a ticket, there is no way we are able to win a lottery game.