Conservatively Speaking
State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.
Scam artists targeting Wisconsin
By Mary Lazich
Thursday, Jun 21 2007, 12:55 PM
Consumers need to be aware that Wisconsin is now a huge target for sweepstakes scams. The United States Postal Inspection Service is working on several cases where phony letters are sent promising free prizes as soon as the letter recipients pay a small fee.
The latest scam involves a letter from a lottery company in Canada congratulating the recipient for being the winner of $250,000, a part of a $9 million sweepstakes. Enclosed is a check for $4,975 that appears to be from the Canada firm. The $4,975 was supposedly deducted from the winnings, and instructions are given to use $2,800 of that amount to pay taxes on the winnings before the entire prize could be awarded.
The winner is then told to call a claim agent for more instructions on how to claim the “big winning.” When you speak to the agent, he instructs you to send the $2,800 to a specific address in Ontario.
A couple from Baraboo, Wisconsin that got such a letter did call the agent, but then took a precautionary step and before cashing the check called the bank to learn if the account was on the up and up. The couple was informed the account had recently been closed, so they took the letter and the check to their local Post Office.
When the Baraboo News republic newspaper contacted the “agent,” he was not, as you might imagine, very helpful.
"This is the wrong number or something, you must have dialed the wrong number," the man on the other end of the line said. "I don't know why you're calling me and bothering me with this (expletive).”
Other scams involve mail or e-mail from individuals in foreign countries asking a person to reveal their bank account numbers so that money can be wired into it.
Criminals are becoming more sophisticated, using high-tech tricks that allow them to take authentic company logos from their web sites. They also use color printers to make legitimate-looking checks.
The good news is potential victims are getting smarter, and U.S. and Canadian authorities are cooperating to bring con artists to justice.
Consumers need to be suspicious of anything claiming they have won a contest or sweepstakes they did not enter or any requirement to pay a fee or reveal personal or financial information to receive a prize.
If you feel you have been targeted by a scam artist, contact your local postal inspector. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
