BC Lottery Scam Uncovered
A woman from Alabama fell victim to a lottery scam originating from Canada, but even after she was told that it was a fraud, she continued sending money to an unknown address in the hope of seeing her winnings.
The 68 year old was sent a letter, saying that she had won $879,000 in a BC lottery draw. Enclosed in the envelope was a check for $2,990 which, she was told, would cover the taxes that she would need to pay on her lottery win.
However, when the woman went to cash the check, her bank told her that it was fraudulent.
Nevertheless, the determined woman continued to remain in contact with the con artist in Canada, who managed to convince her to send $60,000 from the US.
It was only after the Canadian Border Services Agency identified a package containing $8,860 in cash, and handed the cash over to the RCMP, that the fraud was uncovered and the money returned to Alabama.
"CBSA officers watch for indicators of fraud when examining international mail and use our technology and training to identify suspicious packages," said the chief operations for CBSA Vancouver international mail centre, Heather Ardiel.
No-Ticket Lotteries are Fraud
A sergeant with the RCMP commercial crime section, Tim Kreiter, said: "Once you've put in that kind of money and that kind of time, you develop a strong belief you have won."
"If you've won a lottery prize where you didn't buy a ticket, it's a fraud. There's no such thing as a random draw of names."
The RCMP continues to investigate the lottery scam, and other authorities are also involved, including the FBI.
The authorities have not reported on any arrests that were made in this case, nor have they said whether the woman would see any more of the money sent to her.
