Postal worker prevents man from losing thousands to lottery scams

Oct 14, 2013, 12:42 pm (12 comments)

Scam Alert

Foreign lottery schemes continue to surface, keeping postal clerks and inspectors busy looking out for potential victims.

An observant postal clerk helped a man who had rival con-artists scheming him for cash, and it's a story that could help you or someone you know from falling for a similar scheme.

"They are told they've won a prize, either a sweepstakes or a lottery prize, but there is a catch," said Steve Bolz, U.S. Postal Inspector.

Foreign lottery schemes are costing Americans more than $120 million a year. Thousands of people are falling victim to the promise of big winnings.

"They have to pay money in order to collect this prize," said Bolz. "There will be some kind of explanation. It might be they have to pay taxes, they have to pay customs duties, processing fees, it's all window dressing."

In an unusual twist, a postal clerk tipped off Inspector Bolz to a victim being targeted by two rival groups of foreign lottery con artists.

"He was standing in line at the post office ready to mail a package, as one of these groups directed him, when he received a phone call on his cell phone from a rival group," said Bolz. "When they learned what he was doing, they gave him a new address to send that package. That is what he did."

The postal clerk sent that package to Bolz, who then returned it.

The victim was ready to send $13,000 in cash to the con artists.

Bolz told him it was all a scam, but the victim was reluctant to believe him.

"People don't want to believe this is a scam, because they really want to believe in that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow," said Bolz.

The victim in this case tried to send money again. This time, Bolz spoke to the victim's wife.

"She was very upset. She had no idea her husband was sending thousands of dollars overseas," said Bolz. "She had to take action at that point and rein him in."

She took his cell phone away and monitors their accounts daily, a sad byproduct of a scheme that seems to be on the rise.

"I was unable to get through to him, because the story he was being told was just so much better than the story I was telling him," said Bolz.

Postal inspectors want to stress lotteries are illegal, except when conducted by states and certain exempt charitable organizations.

There are no legitimate lotteries or sweepstakes that will ask for money upfront — that is a definite red flag.

WBAY

Comments

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Good looking out observant postal clerkThumbs Up

ttech10's avatarttech10

I'll never understand why people fall for these.

There are plenty of examples of things here in the US where you have to pay some sort of tax, yet you don't have to pay anything to receive them.

If I ever get one of these scam letters I'll send them a reply telling them to simply take the taxes/duties/fees out of my winnings. It would be interesting to see if they respond to me. I would try to bribe them in another reply, saying once they send me the money I would send triple the taxes/duties/fees to them for the trouble.

CLETU$

Quote: Originally posted by ttech10 on Oct 14, 2013

I'll never understand why people fall for these.

There are plenty of examples of things here in the US where you have to pay some sort of tax, yet you don't have to pay anything to receive them.

If I ever get one of these scam letters I'll send them a reply telling them to simply take the taxes/duties/fees out of my winnings. It would be interesting to see if they respond to me. I would try to bribe them in another reply, saying once they send me the money I would send triple the taxes/duties/fees to them for the trouble.

I'd just turn the mail over to the Postal authorities and let them handle it.

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by ttech10 on Oct 14, 2013

I'll never understand why people fall for these.

There are plenty of examples of things here in the US where you have to pay some sort of tax, yet you don't have to pay anything to receive them.

If I ever get one of these scam letters I'll send them a reply telling them to simply take the taxes/duties/fees out of my winnings. It would be interesting to see if they respond to me. I would try to bribe them in another reply, saying once they send me the money I would send triple the taxes/duties/fees to them for the trouble.

They only respond if you send money but to get one of those letters you have to first get on someone's list of stupid people.  I haven't gotten one of those letters for years, I guess the list I was on isn't active anymore.

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Oct 15, 2013

They only respond if you send money but to get one of those letters you have to first get on someone's list of stupid people.  I haven't gotten one of those letters for years, I guess the list I was on isn't active anymore.

People pay lots of money for those "stupid people lists". And not all the people on those lists are stupid, just guilty of filing out an Online questionnaire. Not many people respond and those who do are usually more greedy than stupid. That's still a very lethal combination and I can't figure out why we should feel sorry for them.

CLETU$

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Oct 15, 2013

People pay lots of money for those "stupid people lists". And not all the people on those lists are stupid, just guilty of filing out an Online questionnaire. Not many people respond and those who do are usually more greedy than stupid. That's still a very lethal combination and I can't figure out why we should feel sorry for them.

We shouldn't.Anyone who thinks they are going to win a lottery that they didn't play is S T U P I D!!! Stupidity doesn't deserve any sympathy!

billionaire2bee

Quote: Originally posted by ttech10 on Oct 14, 2013

I'll never understand why people fall for these.

There are plenty of examples of things here in the US where you have to pay some sort of tax, yet you don't have to pay anything to receive them.

If I ever get one of these scam letters I'll send them a reply telling them to simply take the taxes/duties/fees out of my winnings. It would be interesting to see if they respond to me. I would try to bribe them in another reply, saying once they send me the money I would send triple the taxes/duties/fees to them for the trouble.

I also cannot understand why in the name of the father  that people keep falling for this, then they lose everything and want us to feel sorry for them...it's not like they havent been warned fifty million times over...I mean really people who would believe someone you never met in Nigeria would tell you you've won some money??? I mean really Nigeria has a lottery bigger than powerball?? Also why in the wold would you have to send money to receive money?? Why arent they sending you forms from the IRS to fill out?? You still gotta pay the U.S. taxes...I mean if they would just stop and think....but i guess it's like mama said "fools and their money are soon parted"

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Oct 15, 2013

People pay lots of money for those "stupid people lists". And not all the people on those lists are stupid, just guilty of filing out an Online questionnaire. Not many people respond and those who do are usually more greedy than stupid. That's still a very lethal combination and I can't figure out why we should feel sorry for them.

Plus, sadly, some of these responders live alone and have a slight or heavy case of Dementia and/or Alzheimer brain trouble.

Coffee

The wife in this article, QUICKLY, needs to gain "custodianship" over her husband so that he can no longer make withdrawals from their bank accounts!  It's the only remaining, loving thing she can do for their future welfare.

Goteki54's avatarGoteki54

It's nce to know that there are still good people out there.Smile Of course most of these scams target the elderly. However, a scam should be obvious. They know they didn't play a lottery in another country, so why would they think they won something they never played?What? Scaming people is low, but scaming elderly people is as low as a human soul can get.

NikidaC

If you  are dumb enough to send thousands of dollars to a stranger u deserve to get scammed...Idiots

TNPATL

I'm amazed he was so willing to fall for this!!!!  I pray as I get older, I remember these types of things and do not become a victim.

jamella724

I commend him for his concern to other people. I hope other people will learn from this story so they don't have to fall for this kind of scam. Other people prefer to have easy money and they don't care if they will take advantage of other people and those kind of people are really irritating. For players we need to be extremely careful and we should be reminded that if we didn't purchase a ticket there's no way we will become winner.

End of comments
Subscribe to this news story