Foreign Lottery Scams on the Rise
Americans continue to get fooled by foreign lottery scams that promise big payouts. The First Judicial District Attorney's Office Fraud Hotline has recently seen an increase in calls from citizens who've been notified that they've won a lottery from a country they've never visited. Often these notifications include a very authentic-looking, bogus check. They ask you to deposit it and then to wire money to cover various fees and taxes. 
District Attorney Scott Storey says, "The people that call us before they deposit the check, or wire the funds, are the lucky ones. Once money is sent, it cannot be recouped. And, depositing the inevitably counterfeit check results is additional bank charges you have to pay."
Foreign lotteries are illegal in the U.S. These fraudsters are becoming more and more sophisticated; their documentation often looks very authentic. Storey says, "One scam we've seen lately is notification from the "Publisher's Clearinghouse Lotto". The title looks familiar enough to create a level of confidence in many."
Notification by letter or email that you've won a foreign lottery, even when it includes a check, is bound to be fraudulent, regardless of how legitimate they look. The notification letters look very official.
Most of the foreign lottery schemes we are seeing now do not appear to target a particular age group. Victims range from 19-68. According to Storey, "One common link we are seeing is that the unsuspecting recipients are often unemployed and submitting resumes on online. Beware of applications requesting personal information like your Social Security Number." Often these are simply "phishing" schemes to get your personal information.
If you receive notification through the mail that you've won a foreign lottery, do not throw away the envelope. If you also receive a check, do not deposit it. Do not call the phone number listed on the letter; it may be a 1-900 number with an exorbitant fee. You should start by contacting your local District Attorney's fraud unit:
Jefferson and Gilpin Counties: 303.271.6980. - Denver: 720.913.9179.
- Boulder County: 303.441.3700.
- Adams County: 303. 659.7720.
- Arapahoe County: 720.874.8547
Or call:
- Federal Trade Commission: 1-877-FTC-HELP, or visit their website http://www.ftc.gov/
- U.S. Postal Service: 303.313.5320 http://www.usps.com
- National Fraud Information Center: 1-800-876-7060.
- Phonebusters (toll free): 1.888.495.8501 or e-mail: info@phonebusters.com (They'll take a complaint and share the information with the FBI)
The National White Collar Crime Center found that nearly one in two
households (46.5%) report being the victim of financial crime in the past year and 62.5% report having been victimized sometime in their lifetime.
The U. S. Postal Inspection Service says that Americans lose an average of $120 million a year on foreign lotteries and sweepstakes.
Notification letters may say that your name was selected from a "random drawing". "Don't believe it," D.A. Storey says, "You can't win a foreign lottery unless you purchase a ticket in person, in that country. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is."
Last Modified: Mar 28, 2009 10:19 PM
