FBI warns about lottery fraud

Comment #20

dr65 — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 18:58:27 GMT

Is it Friday yet?

Friday, March 18th should be National Squash the Scammers Day - not certainly to honor them but to expose,

shut them down, send them packing and cut off their free money.

I feel very bad for the elderly that are set up and robbed by these thieves. These people had a goal in life and

in a matter of weeks or months, they lost it all to the scum of the earth. I cannot stand people who trick others

out of their money with hard up stories, made up stories an... [ More ]

Comment #19

Groppo — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 18:12:04 GMT

Exactamundo!

But, we read in the article that the elderly are being targeted.

And, I feel so doggone sorry for them, because they've spent their whole lives

saving, and whatever, just to give it away to some crook.

Especially sorry for the Virginia victim. But, she was a school teacher.

Even elderly, she'd been trained to not fall for shenanigans (to a degree, anyway), and to suspect tomfoolery and such. Don't you think?

I'm afraid these Jamaicans are even reading our posts.... [ More ]

Comment #18

TheMeatman2005 — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 15:41:53 GMT

How to get even with telemarketers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmKtS-k12b0

Tom Mabe phone prank Guy pretends to be F.B.I agent when talking to telemarketer

Comment #17

Teddi — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 01:30:07 GMT

Well I never got a phone call. I did however, get a text message from a representative of Powerball winner Marie Holmes who has chosen me to gift a portion of her winnings. Now, considering that I give fake numbers to anyone that isn't an employer, close friend or medical facility, I was quite surprised someone managed to scamtext me.

Yesterday I got an absolutely perfectly constructed email from Wells Fargo saying that due to suspicious activity, a hold was being placed on my account until I... [ More ]

Comment #16

Teddi — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 00:56:05 GMT

Was thinking the same thing when I read this. But then I've met so many elderly people who have been so desperate for interaction with others that they will tell me their entire life stories just by me asking 'how've you been?' that I get how this is possible even without a sophisticated network or the promise of a lottery win. I'm only surprised it doesn't happen more often.

Comment #15

KY Floyd — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 07:06:58 GMT

You didn't see the front page article in last Sunday's NY Times?

Elderly Bronx Man Scammed Out Of Life Savings. Lost $25 In Fake Lottery Scam.

Comment #14

grwurston — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 00:16:52 GMT

100%

If they are getting a lot of sweepstakes letters in the mail it is definitely a red flag. Chances are they answered one or more of them and sent a check. Once that happens their name is put on mailing lists. And they will be swamped with them.

Another thing to watch out for are magazine subscription offers that have a sweepstakes entry with them. It's the same thing. Subcsribe to one and you get swamped with magazines.

Be aware that a lot of magazine subscription services... [ More ]

Comment #13

OneTrickpony — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 00:01:31 GMT

My neighbors elderly mother was scammed by phone a few years ago. Don't know by whom, but all of her social security money was taken out of her bank account, I mean everything, and she had no money for food. She was so embarrassed and sick with worry after she discovered that she was fooled, that she told no one, not even her own daughter. My neighbor found her mother unresponsive and rushed her to the hospital. That's when she found out the story of why her mother wasn't getting enough nourishm... [ More ]

Comment #12

cbr$ — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 23:41:07 GMT

You don't have to be elderly to fall into one of these scams. A friend receive a very notice that she had win some prize in the Irish lottery. She was all excited, she show us the letter she made the call. She just gotten back from a over sea job assignment. She put the call on speaker so we could all hear what they had to said. Of course it finish came around to the amount of money she need to wire them to claim her prize from alleged jackpot. We ask her [3] questions. {1} Do you remember purch... [ More ]

Comment #11

mjwinsmith — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 23:39:47 GMT

The best advice yet, a good defense is a strong offense. Sit down with your love ones and advise them of this crap going on. The more they know up front will keep them from being a victim of these kind of scams.

Comment #10

dallascowboyfan — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 22:50:00 GMT

If you have any elderly relatives please check on them to make sure they are not being scammed.

Comment #9

bigbuckswede — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 22:25:26 GMT

419eater dot com is one of the funniest pages on internet, the site documents how scammers got scamed themselves. The road to Skeleton Coast is pure entertainmen. Note that gpshoaxlinks not works anymore. The site is quite old.

Comment #8

mypiemaster — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 20:46:21 GMT

It's funny how the Nigerian scam is usually prevalent in Jamaica, Texas/Georgia and the Soviet Union. Picture somebody from Russia trying to talk like a Nigerian . I think some of those good Nigerians are getting a bad rap.

Comment #7

mypiemaster — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 20:34:37 GMT

Preying on the elderly is almost like prostitution in a way. It comes in different forms, shapes and sizes. It is age old and the low hanging fruit and it will never go away. These con artists know that the elderly are very trusting and vulnerable.

Comment #6

music* — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 20:11:23 GMT

Thanks to Todd the FBI for the heads up.

The more info the better for the elderly.

Comment #5

Raven62 — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 18:29:42 GMT

Deduct the Fees and Taxes from my Winnings and Send me the rest

Comment #4

Bleudog101 — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 17:23:09 GMT

Anxiously awaiting my lottery scam phone call. Will play along to the max and even ask where to wire the money to. then they'll call in a few days (I would imagine) and say they did not receive the money. Then I'll give them a fake name of the person that received the money.

Comment #3

gocart1 — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 16:45:26 GMT

I get scammers from P.C.House all the time ..They tell me i won and I need to send money somewhere to get my big check..There is a Dave ,Todd and Danielle..They tend to use the name Danielle a lot more ..I just play dump with them.It's fun to play with them ..SORRY ..YEA .I KNOW ..I'M GOING TO HELL ..

Comment #2

haymaker — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 15:28:27 GMT

Seems like these victims are always meticulous savers, never hear of this happening to a spendthrift.

Comment #1

Deo-nonfortuna — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 15:17:54 GMT

This is similar to Nigerian 419 scam. Even if you played lotto, ur the one who has to contact the lotto agency or whomever u bought the ticket from after u win. These scammers tend to target the elderly a lot, and I thought wisdom grows when people age. Common sense should prevail in such cases. I'm seen my share of scammers here on LP too. Caveat emptor

FBI warns about lottery fraud

Lottery Post — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 15:00:54 GMT

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... [ More ]