A Sudbury couple is not on a spending spree to celebrating their lottery winnings this week. Instead, they are warning other people about a scam that could end up being very expensive.
The couple, who are seniors, received an addressed letter from Spain claiming they had won more than 560,000 Euros or about $795,000 in the International Promotions Euromillion Lottery.
Not only was the news too good to be true, the couple had
never purchased a ticket for the lottery.Unlike similar scams,
this one did not ask for the couple to send money so that their
prize could processed. However, the claim form, which had to be
completed before a cheque could be issued or money directly
deposited into the couple's bank account, asked banking and
personal questions.
The couple phoned Phonebusters to report the scam and they
suggested contacting Northern Life.
Information obtained from the RCMP's Phonebusters website
says people who might think they have nothing to lose by
filling out the claim form, supply scam artists with
information that be used to steal their identities.
With personal and banking information, scam artists can get
control of bank accounts, open new accounts, transfer funds,
obtain loans, credit cards and other goods and services, buy
luxury goods and obtain government services or a passport.
50Plus.com lists the following common scams and ways to avoid
them. These include:
The shoulder surfer: A stranger sees and memorizes your PIN
number. At the first possible opportunity, he pickpockets your
wallet and makes his way to the nearest bank machine to
withdraw money from your account. Always protect your PIN.
Disreputable home repairs. You respond to a flyer left in your
mailbox offering a good price on home repair. The repairman
asks for a down payment to buy materials, but then disappears
with your money. Or he may do a shoddy job, overcharging in the
process, and leaving you to pay someone else to repair the
work. Always ask friends or family to refer you to a
trustworthy repair company.
The bank inspector. A caller, claiming to be an inspector or
official from your bank informs you an audit is being done on
your account. The caller then asks for specific information,
including account numbers, credit card expiry dates and
passwords. Having collected this personal data, the con artist
then withdraws all your money. Remember, if the caller is a
bank official, he or she would already have this information.
If in doubt, ask for the caller's number and say you'll
call back. Ensure the phone number is the same as your
financial institution. If not, alert your bank immediately.
The Phish-erman: Your bank purportedly sends an e-mail asking
you to click on a link to the bank website to verify personal
information, including bank account numbers and passwords. In
the typical phishing scheme, you are directed not to a
legitimate website, but to a replicate site created by thieves
to collect your sensitive information. Delete the e-mail. If in
doubt, type in a phony number or password. A legitimate site
will not accept it, but a phishing site will.
The fake fundraiser: You are contacted by phone, fax or email
by a charity that sounds familiar, thanking you for your
previous gift and asking you to be generous again by
contributing regularly. Always check whether the organization
is legitimate by visiting www.cra.arc.gc.ca or  phone
1-800-267-2384.
The identity thief. By stealing your mail, rooting through your
trash, pinching your wallet or capturing your personal banking
information online, thieves can assume your personal identity.
Once this information is attained, a number of fraudulent
activities can be carried out, such as establishing a bank
account and writing bad cheques, obtaining credit and applying
for mortgages.  Always shred financial correspondence.
Deal only with reputable online businesses. Monitor your
accounts regularly and contact the bank at the first indication
of anything suspicious.
The lottery scammer. You receive e-mail or junk mail informing
you that you've won a substantial sum of money in an
international lottery, but to claim your prize you need to
contact the organization and give them the special code
contained in the mail. This involves three possible scams:
you'll be asked to pay a fee to access your nonexistent
prize; you'll be asked for bank account information so the
prize can be "deposited directly"; or you'll be
asked to phone a 1-900 number, which will bill you at an
exorbitant rate for each minute you're on the phone waiting
to claim your prize.  No legitimate lottery requests money
in order to claim your prize. To do so is a clear signal that
you are being scammed.
The Nigerian letter. You receive a letter or e-mail requesting
that you help the sender transfer a large amount of money out
of Nigeria or some other African state. (Often the sender
claims that government persecution is the reason for such
clandestine transactions.) In return for your help, you'll
receive one-third of the cash once it's safely out of the
country. You are then told to pay transfer fees to expedite the
transaction. Advice: If you receive one of these letters,
forward it to [email protected] to help a joint force of
the RCMP and OPP catch the scammers.
The free or low-cost vacation. You've completed a ballot
for a chance to win a free or low cost holiday. A few days
later, you receive a call to say you've won, but to hold
your prize, you need to send your credit card number or money
in advance to cover the tax. Advice: Only fill out ballots for
organizations your recognize.
The work-at-home scam. You're asked to send in money
(anywhere between $29.99 to $199) to receive a home business
"start up" package which is guaranteed to generate
huge dollars. After that you may receive a request for more
money, or you may receive instructions on how you can place
similar ads or notices thereby replicating the scheme. Or you
may receive nothing at all and your money will go missing.
Advice: If the business promoted really did generate megabucks,
it wouldn't be advertised in the paper or glued to a
telephone pole.
To report scammers, contact Phonebusters: www.phonebusters.com,
phone 1 888 495-8501, e-mail: [email protected] or fax : 1
888 654-9426.
