Phony Sweepstakes or Lottery Scams
A common adage made popular by Richard Carlson suggests that if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Seniors may get a text message or call that starts with the words congratulations you’ve won the lottery or you’ve won a sweepstakes drawing. Granted, people do win money every day. But, if the winner is asked for money to pay for taxes or some type of fee, that’s when it’s time to hang up the phone and cease communication. The caller is looking for an easy payday at the victim’s expense.
This scam takes on several forms. One scenario sends a check to the victim for them to deposit into their checking account. The scam works because the fake check is not rejected immediately, giving the criminals a chance to obtain money from the victim for fictional charges. They might say that the taxes need to be paid or that there is some sort of necessary service charge that must be paid. Unfortunately, with their fake check in hand, gullible winners pay the money to the fraudster, only to have the check rejected later.
Another version of this type of trick is that the victim is notified that they will receive their prize only after they pay the custom charges or taxes due. The contest may sound very legitimate. Seniors are warned to never accept any gift or prize that requires them to pay money upfront. Even though it is common knowledge that taxes must be paid on lottery earnings typically, legitimate prizes don’t come with a price tag that must be paid immediately.
