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45 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 21, 2004 ‘Lottery’ scams locals of $14,800 By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune If a letter in your mailbox says you’re the winner of a $50,000 international lottery jackpot, call police before you make plans to cash in on the winnings. Medford police have taken reports from a pair of local residents who have lost cash after playing into the hands of scam artists promising them $50,000 from "Universal Lotto Promotions" in Canada, Sgt. Brett Johnson said. One Medford resident was bilked out of about $13,000 in the scam, while another lost $1,800, Johnson said. Victims were tricked out of their money after receiving a letter claiming they would receive a $50,000 award if they first paid a "clearance fee" that would be deductible from their prize. The victims were instructed to place a phone call to the fake lottery company, where arrangements were made for them to receive a check for between $900 and $3,000. Victims then cash the checks and send what they believe is an advance fee to suspects in Montreal, Quebec, via Western Union, Johnson said. Advertisement The checks the victims receive are counterfeit. Scam operators string them along until they figure out they’re being swindled or a bank returns the counterfeit checks. "People want to believe they’ve won some money, so they agree to pay this advance fee," Johnson said. "These (scam artists) work the phones like salesmen. Once they get a ruse going, they know how to work on a person’s weaknesses." Scam operators appear to be targeting senior citizens, Johnson said. In this particular scam, the perpetrators use counterfeit Wisconsin credit union checks to make their plan work. Police said about three dozen additional victims have turned up in New Mexico, Tennessee and Mississippi. Johnson said Medford police are working with Canadian authorities to try to put an end to the mail scam. Police say people should use extreme caution when responding to any mail claiming they have won prizes or money. "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is," Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said. Also, police remind the public that it is a violation of federal law to play a foreign lottery through the mail or over the telephone. Anyone who has received letters or e-mails from Universal Lotto Promotions or similar operations should contact their local police department. Earlier this year, a federal judge ordered a group of Canadian telemarketers to pay $19 million in restitution for running a similar lottery scam that targeted senior citizens in the United States, according to the Federal Trade Commission. More information on foreign lottery scams is available at the FTC’s Web site, www.ftc.gov . Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers