The California Lottery announced that the Mega Millions lottery — where $270 million was won last night — is now being being used to trick people into cashing worthless checks.
The intent behind this is to get people to cash a bogus check and send the money back to them before your bank, or financial institution of choice, realizes the item is NO GOOD!
Most of the time they prefer you wire them the money so it has disappeared into thin air when the criminal aspect is discovered. Once the money is picked up — especially via Western Union or MoneyGram — the sender has little to no recourse.
The intended victim is lured into cashing the check and (normally) wiring the money with a promise that there is a LOT more MONEY (please) on it’s way. Of course, more money never arrives and the person cashing the check ends up being held liable. Please note, there are stories circulating about people getting arrested for cashing countefeit financial instruments, also.
From the press release on the California Lottery site:
While eyes are watching to see if someone is lucky enough to capture the $270 million MEGA Millions jackpot tomorrow, California Lottery officials warn of a scam arriving in some mailboxes.
The letter from LOTTO LINE claims the recipient has won USA MEGA MILLIONS and includes a check to be cashed and used to pay administrative fees. The check may look authentic, California Lottery officials say, but beware that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Apparently, this isn’t the first (or probably the last) time the California Lottery has been impersonated. Here are the previous alerts, I found on the site about this:
MEGA Millions Mail Scam Fradulent Check Scam
International Lottery Scheme Email Scam
Lottery scams are not the only scams involving bogus financial instruments. Counterfeit checks and other bogus financial instruments are sent to the “unwary” all the time. Known bogus items in circulation are Postal Money Orders, Travelers Express (MoneyGram) Money Orders, American Express Gift Cheques and Visa Travelers Cheques.
A great place to learn about these scams is FakeChecks.org.
The FraudAid people (Annie and team) have an excellent page on their site about lottery scams, also.
Full alert from the California lottery, here.
7 users commented in " Mega Millions Lottery spoofed in scam "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI recieved a check for 3,752.00 from a company claiming i won the mega millions jackpot. In the sum of 495,000.00 and that the check for 3,752.00 was for legal, and insurance purposes i called the number on the letter i recieved and the guy wanted a checking or savings account number said i cannot authorize check until they got that right then i knew it was a scam. The name of companie there claiming is MRC FINANCIAL INC. 6400 congress ave boca raton florida 33487.And the check was through bank of america they sent for insurance purposes. This deffinetly is a scam.
Always have to be on the lookout. You know if these scammer wrote fiction books I bet there would be some amazing books out. You need to have a heck of an imagination to come up with alot of this stuff.
Let me tell you guys, I made a test once. I started to ask everybody that I knew, barely knew and 1 that had no idea about who he was if they knew anybody who had won a lottery (any kind) jackpot and guess what? Yeah, anybody! the lottery itself, on my opinion, is a gigantic scam where the winner is picked prior the draw by people with power to do it and probably the weight of the bolls for the draw are changed so the numbers that those people want to came out are for the “winner”. Now, after the scam on the IRS, for example, do you think this is possible? I do.
I received a check for 2,900.00 for tax purposes and i will receive 250,000 in the next 48 hours , is this a scam ?
I think It’s a Scam,,
if they have a fee in claims
I recieved a letter in the mail stating that in March 15th, 2010 Winners of the USA Mega Million Drawing. They claimed that I have won $250,000.00. Attached to the letter was a check that was in the amount of $3,997.09. Claimed that it was a portion of my winnings to provided to help me with paying my taxes, Insurance, handling and shipping fees. They said that the tax amount was totaling $2,970.00. And once when I complete the claim a representative in my area will deliver the $246,022.91 check directly to my door.
I was skeptical so I called and this guy answered the phone. He told me to go a deposit the check into my account and call him back. I did that and I called him and He told me to take the amount of $2,970.00 and send it Western Union at a fee of $135 to a person by the name of Sylvia Ross in London England. I wish it to be true but I cant halp but feel that this is a scam. And why would USA MEGA Million winners have to pay taxes to LONDON England….
I receive a letter from american direct lottery saying that I was a winner 250 k I got happy but then I realize its a scamm I receive the same check of 3994 us money and I have to pay 2980 in taxes this is bullsh..
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