Search

Michigan man gets taken by lottery schemeNews Story
Ann 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
Dec 6, 2006, 9:06 am - Lottery News

N.D. woman duped in lottery scamNews Story
An elderly woman from Bismarck, North Dakota, reportedly has been fleeced of more than $100,000 in an apparent lottery scam. According to a report filed recently at the Bismarck Police Department, a 70-year-old woman has contributed more than $100,000 to the scam since January 2003, including more than $50,000 in the last year. An employee at a local convenience store phoned police after watching the woman wire large amounts of cash on several occasions. According to the report, the mo
Nov 29, 2006, 7:10 am - Lottery News

Ontario lottery players advised to be cautiousNews Story
It's not just about whether you win or lose, but how you play the game, especially when that game is the lottery. People buying tickets for Wednesday night's $36 million Lotto 649 draw the fourth largest Canadian jackpot in the lottery's history have been advised to take precautions to avoid being cheated in the wake of reports that retailers may be lying about whether tickets are winners or not. The scandal arose several weeks ago when it was alleged that too many ticket sellers were
Nov 9, 2006, 7:09 am - Lottery News

N.J. police warn of lottery scamsNews Story
Police are reminding residents to be wary of so-called international lottery scams in which large sums are promised but require recipients to send money before they can claim their prize. Two Camden, New Jersey, residents were recently victims of this scam, police said. One woman, an 84-year-old, sent a total of $25,000, money she got through cash advances on a credit card. She reported the scam to police Sept. 29 after her prize money never arrived, said Camden Det. Zsakhiemcq James.
Oct 24, 2006, 8:48 am - Lottery News

Number of lottery scams soarsNews Story
Con artists broaden focus beyond elderly Charles Kane found $4 million in his northwest Charlotte mailbox Monday. The retired salesman plucked three letters promising big lottery winnings in exchange for processing fees from $5 to $25. He's received almost two dozen such letters since August; recently he broke down and sent a total of $50 to three places. I had a couple of bucks in the bank and thought, 'What do I have to lose?' Kane said. Then I thought, 'What the hell am I doing?'
Sep 27, 2006, 12:00 pm - Lottery News

Elderly S.F. man loses $10,000 in lottery scamNews Story
Police are asking for the public's help in their investigation of a lottery scam after a 75-year-old San Francisco man was swindled out of $10,000. According to San Francisco police, the victim received a letter in the mail last week from Global Investment Securities World Trust Services telling him he had won $82,459.61 in the Canadian lottery. The letter included a false notarized letter listing the man's name, address and the amount he had supposedly won and a bogus receipt purporting t
Sep 18, 2006, 11:18 pm - Lottery News

N.J. investigators warn of lottery scamNews Story
Same old lottery scam that people keep falling for Melissa A. Garcia, a financially strapped single mother, rejoiced last month when she received a letter proclaiming she had won $65,000 in the Horizon Empire Sweepstakes. The letter even came with a legitimate-looking business check for $2,450.80. The money, the letter stated, was supposed to cover taxes and clearance fees so Garcia could claim her prize. I thought it was my way out of all the things I've been through, said Garcia,
Sep 18, 2006, 10:13 pm - Lottery News

Lottery-check scams get more seductive, ingeniousNews Story
By Paul Wenske Kansas City Star Those lousy lottery-check scams are mutating again and ensnaring more unsuspecting consumers. But first, folks, you just shouldn't fall for these goofy scams. No honest lottery in the world gives out free money. That said, the scams are increasing. And they offer sneaky new twists to create a false sense of security. More scams are using counterfeit checks drawn on legitimate bank accounts of real businesses. Reader Mary Kay Culp of Lenexa alerted me
Aug 28, 2006, 11:00 am - Lottery News

Lottery winners: beware the phoneNews Story
For lottery winners flush with newfound wealth, the Powerball windfall can be a devil in angel's clothing. It will mean a new sense of financial security for the 100 production and shipping employees at Sargento Foods in Plymouth claiming the $208.6 million Jackpot Saturday. But it can also mean the onset of worries, as the phones begin ringing off the hook from those looking for donations or handouts. Many of these callers will be known by the winners or will be legitimate organizations,
Aug 9, 2006, 12:42 pm - Lottery News

Lottery company used 'sucker lists' to target elderlyNews Story
The New York Attorney General's office has secured $110,000 in restitution and civil penalties from three Erie County individuals who targeted senior citizens through a telemarketing scam involving the sale of winning lottery numbers. Michael J. Geiger and Michael D. Marranca, the owners of Multi-Plays of America, Inc. and the company's general manager, Noelle M. Alessandra, all consented to the court order that permanently bars them from telemarketing to consumers or for charitable purpose
Jun 9, 2006, 7:51 am - Lottery News