| August 10, 2009 MLA Lee Warns Chinese-Canadian Community About Lottery Scams BURNABY – Richard T. Lee, MLA for Burnaby North, warns members of the Chinese-Canadian community to be on guard against lotto scammers. “I just heard from a Burnaby woman whose friend lost a great deal of money through a lottery scam,” says Lee. “The victim was told that she had won a lottery but had to send money to receive her prize. She sent in the money, however no prize ever came. Unfortunately, this type of crime is not uncommon.” In recent years, a variety of lottery scams have become widespread. To avoid becoming a victim: • Remember that you cannot win a legitimate lottery if you do not buy a ticket. • Remember that you never have to pay money in advance to collect winnings from a legitimate lottery. • Remember that no legitimate lottery will notify you that you have won a prize. It is your responsibility to notify them. “Nothing is free in life,” says Lee. “If somebody contacts you to say you won a lottery prize but you did not buy a ticket, do not respond. If these scammers phone you, hang up and report the number to police. If they email you, forward the email to police. If they send you a letter with a fake cheque, which is a popular type of lotto scam, give the letter and the cheque to the police. Taking such action will be very helpful for the police as they gather evidence.” There are two main types of lottery scams: 1) In advance fee scams, a potential victim is asked to disclose his social insurance number or banking information. Or he may be asked for a scan of his passport or driver’s license. Sharing this type of information can lead to identity theft, and any money paid to the scammers is money lost. 2) In fake cheque scams, potential victims receive a realistic-looking cheque that is an “advance” on winnings. Victims are told to cash the cheque and forward part of the money to cover “fees” or “taxes” that must be paid before the rest of the prize can be sent. In reality, the cheque is counterfeit. The victim loses money from his bank account and may be investigated for bank fraud on top of that. “I urge everybody to be vigilant against these scams,” adds Lee. “Anyone who says you must pay money to collect a prize is lying, and anyone who phones or emails you to ask for personal information is not to be trusted.” For more information on these and other common scams, please visit this link at the Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC’s website: http://mbc.bbb.org/article/bbb-of-mainland-bc-top-ten-scams-3658 -30- |
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