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Foreign Lottery Scams Are Targeting Ohio Consumers, Officials Say30 March 2001OHIO —– As reported by the Columbus Dispatch: "The Ohio attorney general is warning consumers that the only legal lottery in the state is the Ohio Lottery. "Officials say foreign lottery scams promising huge payoffs in exchange for a fee are swindling Ohioans out of thousands of dollars. "…A handful of Ohioans have filed complaints with the attorney general's office after sending thousands to claim bogus winnings in Canadian, Jamaican and European lotteries. "There were enough complaints for the attorney general's office to issue an alert. In recent weeks, officials in Pennsylvania and Washington state also have warned residents about similar scams. "The scam artists tell consumers they've won a large sum of money and must pay a fee or tax to claim the prize. "`Sadly, once the money is sent, it's gone and there's no prize money,'' Attorney General Betty D. Montgomery said. "…The operators tend to target elderly people, who they think are more trusting and have money and investments that are accessible. "Often, people are too embarrassed to report that they've been scammed, said Joe Case, spokesman for the attorney general's office…" |