The number of lotteries selling tickets online is relatively low, but lottery scams run rampart and many people become their victims, despite the authorities trying to contain the phenomenon. US citizens are the ones targeted by the overwhelming majority of scam artists, and elderly people are their preferred victims. They believe that since they lack access to technology or don’t know how to use the Internet properly, these are the perfect victims. With the perpetrators operating from outside United States, tracing the money and undoing the harm is virtually impossible, so prevention is the only thing that works.
All foreign lotteries are scams
Fraud investigators who work closely with the AARP’s Washington State office are going to great lengths to prevent more people from becoming the victims of these ruthless crooks. They go as far as to make definitive statements and claims that all foreign lotteries should be regarded as scams since it is illegal to participate. Another argument that they bring to the table is the fact that whenever someone asks a person to pay a fee for collecting a lottery prize, this should raise the alarm flags. Last but not least, they remind people that it is impossible to win a lottery jackpot without purchasing tickets in the first place.
All these arguments make perfect sense, but unfortunately they sometimes fall on deaf ears and people preferred to look for reasons to believe. Foreign lottery scams are promising huge amounts to people of low income and those who are less educated are more likely to believe in their promises. Once a person responds, the perpetrators focus their attention on them and they can be quite relentless. Dozens of phone calls, an avalanche of letters and emails will overwhelm the recipient and sometimes the scam artists resort to threats. In the end they invade the victim’s life to that extent that they break them down.
Not all victims are uneducated seniors
There is a misconception about the people who become the victims of foreign lottery scams and the general consensus is that these are elderly people with no education. While the scam artists prefer this category of people, not all of those who end up losing their money can be included in the aforementioned group. Sometimes even people who should know better give in to temptation and send small amounts, hoping that the millions that they are promised will eventually be sent their way.
Recovering the lost money is virtually impossible and tracing the perpetrators is just as difficult because they know how to cover their tracks. Consumers are urged to contact the authorities immediately after receiving any e-mails or phone calls instructing them to send money. The U.S.P. S and AARP hope that by acting quickly and decisively they can trace the scammers and bring them to justice.
Check out the Elderly citizens targeted by the lottery scam artists as well.
About Marry Levental
Hi, my name is Marry and you can find me on Google+. I`m a little bit crazy about the lottery and writing about it is my real vocation. The lottery is a cool thing and I don`t share the opinion that it`s a tax on the poor. Look around, the world is full of chances. Why don`t you get yours right now? All you need to do is to read our recommendations and to start playing lottery online. Good luck!
