SCAM ALERT

A local resident received this in the mail.
IT IS A SCAM!
There are many things in the letter that tell me it is a scam:
1. Publishers Clearing House does not notify winners by mail.
2. International Lotto is not associated with Publishers Clearing House and Internationally lotteries are illegal in the United States and for U.S. Citizens to play.
3. You never entered the sweepstakes and lottery but they claim you did either directly or through purchases or some other business contact
4. There is a deadline or high pressure to act quickly or lose your winnings.
5. There is a phone number of a person to call who continues to lie to you and sell you on the idea that it is real and you are a winner.
6. Well into the letter and phone call (after they hooked you with the idea of "winning it big"), they hit you with the fact that you must pay taxes and processing fees before you get your money.
7. To offset the fees they provide a check in various amounts for you to deposit so that you can then send them the tax and processing fees.
8. Many of these letters will illegally use copyrighted logos and names of trusted and recognized companies to convince you that the letter is legitimate.
How the scam works —You fall for the lie that you are about to be very wealth and all of your financial problems will be over. You call a number and hear the same lie on the phone further convincing you that you are one lucky individual. You are then determined to "get your money" so you act quickly and go to your bank. You deposit the attached check into your account and immediately withdraw the taxes and processing fees. You then send them the money and wait for your pot of gold to be sent to you ...
... but it never comes. What does happen is the check you cashed moves through the banking system and is eventually determined to be fake. The bank refuses to honor the check and then holds you responsible for the money you withdrew which causes you more stress and financial trouble.
Reality:
This is a very profitable scam for thieves. Terrorist organizations are suspected of running these scams to fund their attacks. Thousands of these letters are mailed daily in the U.S., hoping that one or two of the people will fall for it which results in the thieves making over $100,000 each week (or more).
These same people target the elderly and those in financial trouble knowing they are easier to convince.
These groups often work in cells without knowing who each other area and in different states or in other countries thereby making it almost impossible to track, stop and arrest them. I had a family member lose $30,000 in just such a scam.
How to avoid being a victim :
Remember what you Grandparents told you — Nothing is free and you must work for everything you have and beware of people promising you easy and quick wealth.
When in doubt ... Don't!