Local consumers may think they’ve won a holiday jackpot when they receive a telephone call claiming they’ve won a foreign lottery and the caller offers to send a check—just in time for the holidays. Sound too good to be true? Your Better Business Bureau (BBB) says that is likely the case and the caller is a Grinch scam artist who wants to steal your money—with a new twist.
BBB in Yavapai County has received an increasing number of calls from local consumers stating they have received phone calls from individuals, often with a foreign accent, claiming the consumer has won a lottery. The twist? Some consumers also report the caller states he will personally deliver the winnings!
“Local consumers report receiving checks from scam artists supposedly to cover ‘processing expenses’ to claim their winnings,” said Mary Hawkes, Director of the BBB’s Yavapai County Branch office. “If you have won a free prize or gift, you shouldn’t have to pay anything.”
Consumers are instructed to deposit the check and to then wire funds immediately to the company’s agent, usually in Canada or the Caribbean. The catch? This is a scam! The consumer has not won a lottery and the check is fake—generally stolen or counterfeit. Some consumers report the caller promises delivery of winnings right to their door—as soon as the wired funds are received. One consumer reported the scam artist stated he would be at her house on Saturday with her winnings.
The fake check scam has many variations. In addition to foreign lottery scams, scammers use fake checks in check overpayment scams and secret shopper scams. Scam artists who use these fake check schemes can easily avoid detection. If funds are sent through wire transfers, generally it is extremely difficult for the sender, and law enforcement, to identify or locate the recipient or to retrieve wired funds.
BBB offers the following tips to protect yourself from a fake check scams:
- Discard any offer that asks you to pay for prize winnings or a gift. Better yet, if it came through the mail contact the United States Postal Inspections, Mail Fraud, at 877-876-2455.
- Resist any pressure to act immediately.
- Although it is unlikely that someone would come to a residence, if an unknown person, claiming to deliver winnings should come to your door, contact your local law enforcement.
- Consumers should be aware that just because the funds are available on a check you’ve deposited, it does not mean the check is legitimate. Check forgeries can take weeks to be discovered.
- Never wire money to strangers—whether it be to claim lottery winnings, as part of a secret shopper job, or as a refund for check overpayment. Never!
- If in doubt, contact your Better Business Bureau; call 602-264-1721 or 928-772-3410 in Yavapai County.
About BBB Serving Central, Northern & Western Arizona
BBB is an unbiased organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. Incorporated locally in 1938, today your BBB serves communities in Central, Northern and Western Arizona, supported by over 10,000 BBB Accredited Businesses. BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability ReportsTM and charity BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust.