A florida woman on a fixed income was the victim of a common scam with several variations – the lottery scam. In this case, the victim received a phone call saying she had won the lottery, but that she had to pay for insurance before she could collect the winnings. But in this case, the only person who collected any money was the scam artist.
The victim in this case did not want to reveal her identity. She's an 80 year old woman on a fixed income.
"I've had a lot of back surgeries and my mobility is poor," she said.
But her biggest problem left her aggravated. It started with a few letters and a phone call. The news was big – or so she thought. The person on the other end of the phone told her she was going to win $325,000, but first they told her she had to pay $800 for insurance.
They said they would send that money back to her along with the money she won. That pattern continued for weeks. She kept sending her checks, but the prize never came.
"I never got anything. I tried to call he never answered," she said.
She was out $2,000 – the victim of an international scam.
"It's called the lottery scam," said Angela Lawson of the C.C. Senior Services.
The victims receive phone calls and letters promising big bucks. Some of the paperwork is even disguised to look like government documents. They promise $10,000, $20,000, even a million dollars, but you have to wire them money first.
Hundreds of the fake companies get a hold of your name address and telephone number. When you're on the list, you'll be targeted aggressively.
One Naples woman is out nearly $15,000. Police say getting the money back isn't easy.
"When the wire is completed it is from an out of country account and cannot be tracked," said Lawson.
Police say it is illegal for a lottery to ask you for money up front.
For tips on how not to be a victim of lottery scams, refer to International Lottery scam.
By Patrick Taney, www.nbc-2.com
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