At the FTC, we’ve been warning people away from foreign lottery scams for years. So when one of our colleagues recently got an
from Canada, titled “RE: PRIZE WINNING NOTIFICATION,” we turned to our own advice to check it out.Here’s what our advice says to watch out for, and what the letter actually said.
Watch out for:
“You just won a foreign lottery! The letter says so...”
The letter:
“We are pleased to inform you that you are one of the declared winners of the INTERNATIONAL SHOPPERS LOTTO POWERBALL…”
Watch out for:
“…a cashier’s check is included.”
The letter:
Watch out for:
“All you have to do is deposit the check and wire money to pay for taxes and fees.”
The letter:
“Enclosed is a check for $3,875.00 US dollars which has been deducted from your winning. The sole purpose of this check is to enable you to pay the applicable Government Taxes on your winnings. The tax amount is $1,875.00 US DOLLARS… to be paid directly to the tax agent that is assigned to your file.”
“After the non-resident tax is paid, you will receive a certified check which will be the balance of your winning (US$121,125.00)…”
You’ve probably reached the same conclusion we did: the letter looks like the come-on to a rip-off. Our article on using money wiring services tells us what will happen next: “The check is no good. Although it looks like a legitimate cashier’s check, the bank eventually will determine that it is a fake. The lottery angle is a trick to get you to wire money to someone you don’t know. If you deposit the check and wire the money, the check will bounce — and you’ll be responsible for the money you sent.”
So if you get a letter like this one, keep your money in your account, and report it to the FTC.
