Lottery scams have been available for some time, they have become so popular and all aspects of this version have been tested. The latest version of this scam involves a business having its identity stolen. These culprits of the fraud then send you checks drawn on the business' bank account. The crime has two victims: you and the business whose identity was stolen. You will view this as very bad in the eyes of the bank. Also, the check that you will cash in bounces, and the crooks are no were to be seen, they are long gone.
How the lottery scam works?
You will receive some official looking documents saying that you have won or you have been given £500,000 in the British lottery and attached is a check for £5,000. Directions will be given on how to claim the prize and elsewhere in the enclosed letter will be something about how you are required to pay a fee which is what the check is for. All you have to do is cash in the check and send the funds in the form of a money order to their local offices in the United Kingdom and wait for more other detailed instructions.
Looking at it this would be a great deal. You got a check in hand to cover the fees, and there is absolutely nothing that could possibly go wrong! Now here's the problem and this is where it begins. The check would be written on the account of local businesses whose identity was stolen and by the time you will deposited the check and send the money order to the United Kingdom, the check will eventually bounce, and the bank will hold you responsible for the whole amount of the check. You will soon realize that you have been conned. The countries names of the businesses may change but the scam is not new. The first red flag that should have risen on your part is that you have been told that you won a lottery that you know you never entered or you merely placed an email on their news letter subscriptions. The second part is that it is a lottery in a foreign country. Thirdly, you will be asked to pay an advance payment or fee to claim your winnings. The major factor is that you pay a fee that is at the middle of all lottery scams, and this is one thing that you should have paid more attention. Yet many innocent people fall victim to these scams every day. You should never send anything or make payment in order to claim a prize. The only people who will "win" money in these scam sites are the ones to whom you have sent money.
There are lots of fraud schemes and online sites out there such as the lottery scam. It's all up to you, as the consumer, to educate yourself to recognize and foresee what is and is not legitimate. By doing this, you can minimize your chances of becoming a victim to the crime of theft by deception.
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