Lottery Check Scam Surfacing In County
The arrest of two Illinois women earlier this week has launched awareness of yet another check scam occurring in the county. (See related)
Today, North Webster Police and the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department are warning citizens to be aware of a well-known scam playing on people’s hopes of gaining “free money.”
North Webster Town Marshal Greg Church stated he is currently investigating a check that was received by a local resident. Criminals currently use a well-known process of sending a letter and large monetary check to a potential victim, often stating that they have won some type of lottery or sweepstakes. The suspected scammer will ask the victim to cash it and keep a substantial amount for themselves, while remitting the remaining amount in a money gram or other untraceable method.
When the victim cashes the check, which appears to be valid, they find out later that it is fraudulent. The result is often extensive monetary loss to the victim. Church said cases like these are virtually unsolvable from a law enforcement standpoint, but citizens continue to fall victim thinking they are getting “free money.”
Church also noted citizens should check out any business or individual prior to ever agreeing to a transaction. Sources available to help potential victims include the Federal Trade Commission, IC3/Internet Crime Complaint Center, Rip-off Report and the Better Business Bureau.