Sheriff: Lottery Scam Cost Elderly Person $90,000
The Cook County Sheriff is urging residents to not respond to notices that claim people won lotteries they never entered, and report them to the sheriff’s office.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is seeing more lottery scams, where victims are told they won a large cash prize without entering any contests, only to lose tens of thousands of dollars after responding to the notices. The scammers are sending notices through phone calls, emails, faxes and mailed letters telling people they won a “jackpot,” according to a release from Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. Some go as far to include a false seal or certificate, a sample of which can be seen in the photo area. The scam takes effect when a person responds, and he or she is asked to send money through Western Union or a cashier’s check to a foreign address to pay for added taxes and handling charges, as examples, according to the release. Sometimes, …
