Lottery Scam In Volusia County

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office is warning residents of a lottery scam taking place in Volusia County.

Official-looking letters – complete with letterhead, seals and signatures – announcing that recipients have won an international lottery are once again appearing in Volusia County residents’ mailboxes. 

This is an old scam that still works because it feeds on the natural excitement nearly everyone feels upon hearing that lots of money is waiting to be claimed. 

The typical warning law enforcement gives is that no legitimate sweepstakes contest will ask for money from the winner before prize money can be released. However, in the case of some recent lottery announcements, the letter assures people that a fee will only be assessed once the winnings are deposited in the winner’s bank account. This is still a scam, though.

One recent letter the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office obtained is from “El Gordo International Lottery” and says that the recipient can claim a lump sum payment of $935,740. The letter instructs the winner – actually, the scam victim – to call a given phone number before a deadline and provide the claim numbers listed in the letter. One way this scam may work is that when the victim calls, he or she will be asked to provide bank account information so that the prize can be deposited. 

However, once the scammer has collected the account numbers, the bank account is quickly drained. Another method the scammers use is to send the victim a check and instruct the victim to deposit it and then use a wireless money service to send a fee or tax payment somewhere. Unfortunately, the deposited check is later discovered to be fraudulent, but only after the supposed fee had already been sent.

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In mid-October, a DeLeon Springs man got a letter from a company in Canada announcing that he was the winner of a “Lottery Bonanza” worth $125,000. Included with the letter was a check for nearly $4,000. The man was supposed to deposit the check and use that money to quickly pay off taxes on the prize money. Once that was done, the prize would then be released. However, the man thought that the deal sounded fishy, so he called the Sheriff’s Office before doing anything. Upon examining the letter and check, the deputy recognized them as elements of a scam attempt. Fortunately, the man had avoided becoming yet another victim.

As mentioned earlier, the first thing you need to know is that no legitimate lottery or sweepstakes will ever demand that you pay any fees up front. As soon as someone asks you to send fees you should hang up the phone, not deposit any checks you received from them and not respond to any related mailed correspondence. You should also never provide personal or financial information to anyone you don’t know, no matter how friendly that person is.

Additionally, when told you’ve won a big prize, you need to think about whether you had ever entered the sweepstakes in the first place. For instance, Publishers Clearing House never automatically enters anyone in their sweepstakes. If you don’t recall entering a contest, then chances are that you haven’t won a prize from them.

Scammers are good at convincing their victims that everything is fine and legal. So, if you find yourself unsure of whether the winnings you supposedly have waiting for you are real, call your local law enforcement agency for advice before paying money for any reason. And if you or anyone you know falls victim to this type of scam, report it to law enforcement. There is no need to feel embarrassed. Many people across the country are taken in by these slick scammers. The information you provide could help catch these crooks or at least make it more difficult for them to snag future victims.

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