You can also give them back to the letter carrier or call the U.S. The inspector recommends that people just throw out the letters. (Publishers Clearing House shows up at your door if you win a big prize.) "If they are asking you for any money up front, and before there are any winnings or anything like that, right there is a telltale sign that it's a scam," Meyers said. If you receive a letter in the mail saying that you just won a big jackpot, even if it purports to be from Publishers Clearing House, it's a scam.
"I've encountered numerous elderly victims who just have a house full of lottery mails."
"They don't care, they continue to send these people money."Īnd once they send money, scammers put them on a "suckers list." "Before you know it, they're inundated with either mail, emails, telephone calls and so forth," Meyers said. "You are standing right there and you are telling them flat out you're losing your money, you are not going to win anything," Meyers said. "None of these things are going to pay anybody any money."īut it can be hard to convince some people that these sweepstakes and lottery letters are scams. "The only thing you are guaranteed is you are going to lose money," said Robert Meyers, a U.S. The criminals, located overseas, often target the elderly who may believe they have just won some money. These sweepstakes scams, like the one Lallier received, are serious business. Lallier never clicks on links in emails or downloads attachments, which can fill his computer with spyware and viruses. The scammer offered to help him recover what he had lost. Recently, Lallier received an email from someone who had heard he had been "taken advantage of by unscrupulous people overseas," he said. Lallier turned the counterfeit money orders in to a U.S.
" 'I tried but the banks said the money orders weren't real,' and he hung up," Lallier said. The con artist called him three days later to see if he had done it. "I guess he thought he had a real sucker on the line,' Lallier said. "The guy told me I had to be more careful."īut the scammer doubled down, and sent him two postal orders, asking him to wire money from two Walmarts this time. "I called the guy back two days later and I told him the money order got destroyed in the snow and that I needed another," Lallier said. (The only money sent in this scam is your own.) Postal Service money order for $2,000, asking him to deposit it and wire $1,700 through Western Union at Walmart the next day. "I want to waste as much time with him as I can."įraudsters have tried to hit him with all sorts of scams.įor instance, someone sent him a fake U.S. "I just picture the people there frantically searching for a money order that doesn't exist," Lallier said. He'll give them fake money order numbers to keep them on the hook. Besides using a fake name, he makes up personal details and information. He calls the telephone number on the letter and pretends to fall for it. It came with a fake $4,450 check to "offset the statutory Non-Resident tax payment of $3,400." The letter instructed him to send installments of $1,700 each, using a Western Union money transfer, to an address in Dublin, Ireland. "You are entitled to a guaranteed sum of $50,000.00 (in Certified check) which will be delivered to you by courier service, (FedEx or UPS.)," states the letter, signed with "Kind Regards" by Mr. Press on Your Side met Lallier after he shared a recent letter he received with some good news: He had just won a sweepstakes organized for all customers of Walmart, Sears, "Home depot" (sic) and Safeway. "I am trying to get even for all the people that he, excuse my language, screwed over." "I'm angry at them because of all the people that actually believe that guy is legit," Lallier said. He receives several scam letters, emails or phone calls a week. Of course, Lallier has never sent a dime and uses a made up name with the con artists to shield his identity. Welcome to Lallier's own version of stress relief. I know God has a wonderful place for you. We buried her yesterday so I can get the money out as soon as you want," Lallier said. His mom died, he tells James the con man over the telephone, so he wasn't able to make the trip to Western Union to send the $3,400 he promised. Englishtown resident Douglas Lallier is sorry.