Foreign Lottery Scams are Regular Occurrence in Leelanau County

Citizens report nearly every day that they receive unexpected checks for large amounts or that they have been notified they have won a foreign lottery.  Yesterday was no exception, when a 57 year old Leelanau Township man attempted to cash a $4570 check he unexpectedly received in the mail.  Bank employees determined that it was counterfeit and they did not cash the check.  The bottom line is, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Scammers use a variety of ploys to convince unsuspecting citizens to cash counterfeit checks for them.  Some are overpayments for on-line purchases through Craig's List or eBay.  The scammer will purchase your item and send a check for much more than the sale price.  He will ask you to cash the check, take out the price of the item, costs for shipping and a little extra for your trouble, and wire the remainder to him by Western Union. 

Red flags should be: 1.Not that your snowblower isn't real nice, but why would someone from another country or Atlanta, GA be so interested?  2.Why would they send you a check for $3500 for an $800 item?  3.Why would they pay hundreds of dollars for shipping your item to them overseas?  4.Nearly any transaction involving wiring money via Western Union is suspect.  Again, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Another regular ripoff is the foreign lottery scam.  You are notified by mail, phone or email that you have won the Australian or Spanish or Jamaican lottery.  You know, the one you never bought a ticket for!  That should be the first red flag.  After you are notified that you won millions of dollars without ever even buying a ticket, the scammers will ask for hundreds or thousands of dollars for various fees or taxes before you can collect your big winnings.  You are to send them the money, you guessed it, via Western Union, in order to receive the winnings that will never come.

We know about some Leelanau County residents that have sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to foreign scammers in these and other types of ripoffs in the recent past. Don't be the next victim.  Call the Sheriff's Office if you have questions regarding an offer or lottery winning.  Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it is!


The Federal Trade Commission warns citizens with the following article:

Scam operators — often based in Canada — are using the telephone and direct mail to entice U.S. consumers to buy chances in high-stakes foreign lotteries from as far away as Australia and Europe. These lottery solicitations violate U.S. law, which prohibits the cross-border sale or purchase of lottery tickets by phone or mail.

Still, federal law enforcement authorities are intercepting and destroying millions of foreign lottery mailings sent or delivered by the truckload into the U.S. And consumers, lured by prospects of instant wealth, are responding to the solicitations that do get through — to the tune of $120 million a year, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, says most promotions for foreign lotteries are likely to be phony. Many scam operators don’t even buy the promised lottery tickets. Others buy some tickets, but keep the “winnings” for themselves. In addition, lottery hustlers use victims’ bank account numbers to make unauthorized withdrawals or their credit card numbers to run up additional charges.

The FTC has these words of caution for consumers who are thinking about responding to a foreign lottery:

·         If you play a foreign lottery — through the mail or over the telephone — you’re violating federal law.

·         There are no secret systems for winning foreign lotteries. Your chances of winning more than the cost of your tickets are slim to none.

·         If you purchase one foreign lottery ticket, expect many more bogus offers for lottery or investment “opportunities.” Your name will be placed on “sucker lists” that fraudulent telemarketers buy and sell.

·         Keep your credit card and bank account numbers to yourself. Scam artists often ask for them during an unsolicited sales pitch.

The bottom line, according to the FTC: Ignore all mail and phone solicitations for foreign lottery promotions. If you receive what looks like lottery material from a foreign country, give it to your local postmaster.