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FBI warns of Mega Millions lottery fraudNews Story
The FBI's Atlanta office is warning of a scam involving the Mega Millions Lottery that uses the agency's name, as well as the name of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). People who are contacted receive very convincing fake letters that name the above agencies, and the recipients are told that they are lottery winners, FBI spokesman Stephen Emmett said. The advance-fee part of the scam begins by requiring the so-called winner to transfer, by wire, thousands of dollars to the lot
Oct 25, 2016, 1:16 pm - Lottery News

Massachusetts woman arrested for alleged lottery scamNews Story
A Massachusetts woman was arrested Tuesday for allegedly trying to bilk an 82-year-old man from New Jersey out of more than $6,000 in a lottery scheme. Adair Lane, 67, of Centerville, Massachusetts, pleaded not guilty to forgery of a check, uttering a false check and larceny of more than $250 during her arraignment at Barnstable District Court on Wednesday. Adair was attempting to cash more than $6,000 in money orders at the TD Bank in Centerville when bank employees called police, accordi
Sep 22, 2016, 12:51 pm - Lottery News

NY man sentenced to 4+ years in prison for lottery scam targeting elderlyNews Story
A New York man who ran a bogus lottery scam, in which elderly people were told they won millions but would have to pay taxes in advance to receive a payout, has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison and ordered to repay more than $733,000. Wilder Vladimir Merelan, 29, of West Hempsted, New York, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison by Judge Mark L. Wolf in U.S. District Court in Boston, according to the U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz's office. Wolf also ordered him to p
Aug 11, 2016, 2:13 pm - Lottery News

South Florida musician gets prison term for lottery fraudNews Story
A South Florida musician who helped funnel money from elderly victims of a $500,000 lottery hoax was sentenced Tuesday to three years and five months in federal prison. Delroy Drummond, aka Top Banga, 26, of Hollywood and Miami Gardens, admitted he worked with allies who contacted seniors all over the U.S. and duped them into believing they had won a lottery prize. The victims were told they had to pre-pay several thousands of dollars in taxes and fees before their winnings could be turned
Jun 1, 2016, 8:07 am - Lottery News

Jamaican lottery scam drives man to suicideNews Story
Includes video report An ongoing sinister scam continues to cause some victims to lose their entire life savings from thieves operating from a country and an ocean away. The special Jamaican Organized Crime Task Force is taking on scammers who cost unsuspecting Americans hundreds of millions of dollars each year. They find all the tools of the trade. Cellphones, cash, and lists of phone numbers are used by suspects. Some go as far as driving a nail through their computers to disable the
May 24, 2016, 8:23 am - Lottery News

Florida woman admits role in lottery fraudNews Story
A Broward County, Florida, woman pleaded guilty Monday to her role in a Jamaica-based telemarketing lottery fraud that targeted seniors in the U.S. Elizabeth Gonzalez, 25, of Hollywood and Miami Gardens, a nurse, pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud conspiracy charge in federal court in Fort Lauderdale. Her husband, Delroy Drummond, a musician who also goes by the name Top Banga, age 26, has been locked up has been locked up without bond since January. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to
May 17, 2016, 7:54 am - Lottery News

N.Y. man pleads guilty in bogus lottery schemeNews Story
A West Hempstead, New York, man pleaded guilty to federal charges in a Boston courtroom Friday in connection with his role in a fake lottery scam targeting senior citizens. Wilder Vladimir Merelan, 29, admitted he helped scheme to victimize people ranging in age from 69 to 91 between 2012 and 2015, according to the Massachusetts U.S. attorney's office. The victims were told they had won millions in a lottery but had to pay taxes first to the Internal Revenue Service before they could get t
Apr 11, 2016, 5:45 am - Lottery News

NJ-based company exposed for making dubious claims about beating lotteryNews Story
Would you pay for lottery numbers from a stranger who claims they have a secret way to beat the lottery? If you answered yes to that question, maybe now you'll reconsider that position. A New Jersey man who claims to have a sure-fire way to beat the lottery couldn't back up those claims, and now he has refunded all his customers in Iowa and will no longer be conducting business in the state. Iowa Attorney General spokesperson, Geoff Greenwood, says they got a tip on the schemes pushed by S
Apr 8, 2016, 8:40 am - Lottery News

US man pleads guilty to participating in Jamaica-based lottery scamNews Story
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) says a South Florida man has pleaded guilty for his role in a Jamaica-based telemarketing fraud scheme. Delroy Drummond, 26, of Broward County, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. Drummond is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31, where he will face a maximum statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison. According to documents and information presented in co
Mar 15, 2016, 8:27 am - Lottery News

FBI warns about lottery fraudNews Story
The telephone call came from out of the blue. The man on the line told the 83-year-old retired schoolteacher she had won a substantial lottery prize. All that was required to claim the windfall was to pay taxes and other fees. Before it was over, the victim a Virginia resident who had meticulously saved for her retirement was out more than $500,000 in a scam that has become all too familiar among the elderly. The criminals behind these lottery frauds and other telemarketing scams prey on s
Mar 9, 2016, 10:00 am - Lottery News