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Florida Lottery warns of scam21 August 2007ALLAHASSEE, Florida -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- The Florida Lottery is warning consumers nationwide of a lottery scam involving a letter indicating the recipient has won money from a sweepstake sponsored by multi- national companies in North America. The letter is typed on letterhead containing a Canadian address and is accompanied by a bogus check from "Florida Leisure & Gaming" that includes the forged signature of Florida Lottery Secretary Leo DiBenigno, implying a connection with the Florida Lottery. Would-be victims from New York, Pennsylvania, other parts of the northeast and Florida have called the Florida Lottery asking if the checks are authentic. "Unfortunately lottery scams are widespread, and consumers should beware," said Doug Pitts, director of security at the Florida Lottery. "The Florida Lottery will never ask players for money in order to collect a prize." The bogus checks have been written for various prize amounts to the would- be victims, but share an underlying objective: the recipient is asked to deposit the check and return a sum via Western Union to cover so-called surcharges or government tax. "People are willing to pay out-of-pocket fees in order to receive the large prize amount promised to them," Pitts explained. "However, during the bank's verification process, victims discover the check mailed to them is worthless." Unfortunately, at this point, the victim has already wired the money. According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, consumers send $120 million a year to those running bogus lotteries. While such scams are illegal, these cases are often hard to prosecute because the scammers frequently operate from outside the United States. Also, with advancements in technology, it becomes harder to tell a phony check from an authentic one. Scammers are using a sophisticated version of an old trick. The public should remember that in a legitimate lottery, a winner would never be asked to pay any type of upfront costs to collect a prize. Additionally, a Florida Lottery prize cannot be won without the purchase of a Florida Lottery ticket; and, to claim a Florida Lottery prize, the original winning ticket must be presented for payment. For tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of lottery scams, visit the Security section of the Florida Lottery Web site at flalottery.com/security. For more information or to report a lottery scam, consumers should contact the Florida Lottery's Customer Service Division at (850) 487-7787 or Security Division at (850) 487-7730. |