Feb. 5, 2007
Dear Attorney General,
Recently my wife received a call telling her that she won a $59,000 lottery in Canada . All she needed to do to collect her winnings was to pay a “non resident tax.” My wife never entered a lottery in Canada , or any other foreign country. Is this some type of hoax?
Dear Kansas Consumer,
Don't believe “winning” phone calls, letters or emails from contests you didn't enter. “Canadian Lottery scams” are advance fee scams that pressure consumers to provide their financial information or to pay money up front in hope of receiving a “prize” that doesn't exist. Informed consumers should always ask themselves “How could I have won if I never purchased a ticket?”
Not only are foreign lotteries a scam, they violate Kansas and U.S. Law. Perpetrators often target the elderly and usually contact their victims by mail or telephone. These types of schemes have been around for a long time, and may claim to be from any number of countries.
In addition to the advance fee schemes, perpetrators may send you an “official” check that is actually counterfeit, ask for your banking information or credit card number to wire you your winnings, or ask you to join an international lottery ticket buying group. Regardless of the variation, all foreign lottery scams end up the same way—with consumers losing hundreds to thousands of dollars that will never be recovered.
You can protect yourself from these types of scams by remembering a few basic rules:
- Don't provide your credit card or bank account number to people you do not know. Once they have this information, they will make unauthorized withdrawals and charges.
- Beware of callers requesting money be sent via a wire service or overnight delivery. This is a quick, easy and anonymous way for scam artists to get the money and run.
- You shouldn't have to pay for something you have won (taxes, handling charges, processing fees, etc.). Foreign officials do not call soliciting the payment of taxes or fees in connection with any type of lottery.
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Kansas consumers should be ware of offers for free products, claims you won a contest you did not enter, or get-rich quick schemes.
As your Attorney General, I will work to keep Kansans safe by spreading information and promoting awareness of consumer fraud issues. Please contact my Consumer Protection Division at 785-296-3751 or 1-800-432-2310 with your questions or concerns.