DON’T BE A VICTIM

DON’T BE A VICTIM: CON ARTISTS CONTINUE TO USE
LOTTERY SCAM AS PLOY TO STEAL MONEY
Most of us think we would be the last people in the world to be tricked into handing over
our hard-earned money for deals that, in retrospect, are obviously phony. But con artists are
experts in human psychology and behavior. They know how to win over your confidence with
their smooth talk and self-assured manner. Unless you are careful, you may find yourself turning
over cash or buying worthless merchandise. You won’t be able to recognize a con artist by the
way he or she looks, but you can be on the lookout for some of their “pitches.”
Members of the Financial Crimes and Fraud Unit have noted an increase in the number
of reports of the con artists swindling peoples’ money through the “Lottery Scam,” one of the
most common scams throughout the US. The scam approach is made via email, telephone,
fax or letter. The suspect will tell you that you just won the lottery. All you need to collect the
winnings is to wire them the money for taxes and any international conversion fees. The suspect
will request that money be wired to a Western Union or MoneyGram location based out of the
country, usually Canada, the United Kingdom or Nigeria. The victim never sees any winnings.
A good rule of thumb in these situations is to remember that if it sounds too good to be
true, it probably is! Don’t let your excitement get the best of you. If you are approached by
someone (in person, on the phone, or by email) DO NOT send money. If you ever really do
win the lottery, the lottery association will arrange to take a portion of the winnings to pay
taxes directly out of your winnings.