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Funny Business
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The "funny money" business of scams. Most people have gotten wise to emails from someone claiming to have access to a lot of money which they want to transfer to the US, and they want you to help. Usually the emails originate from Nigeria, promising to pay you part of the profits for your help, but, in the meantime, could you wire some cash to help get the process going?
Now scammers are kicking it up a notch.
People are receiving letters and what appears to be a check. I have one from Alpha Group, based in Toronto, claiming that the recipient won $250,000 in a sweepstakes in the UK. It has a claim number, and looks pretty official. "Enclosed also is the check amount of $4,815 to enable you pay (sic) the applicable taxes of $2,950," the letter says. "You will receive the balance of your winning after the applicable taxes are paid." Ah. BUT, the letter then says, "Please do not attempt to use the check until you call." So I called.
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I got a voicemail box which was too full to take any more messages. Ah, again. So I'm thinking other people who call and encounter the same thing go ahead and attempt to deposit the "check" and send along $2,950 in "taxes" out of their own savings. Then they wait for the rest of the $250k. Which never comes.
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I contacted just two names here, Microsoft [MSFT
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]and Wal-Mart[WMT
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]. Microsoft's Bill Cox had never heard of the lotto, telling me, "This is most likely a hoax." Wal-Mart's Ashley Hardie sent me this statement: "It is unfortunate some people use the good name of reputable businesses for their own personal gain. Wal-Mart does not participate in these types of promotions and has no affiliation with them. Instead, we offer our customers tremendous value on the products they want and need each and every day. We are concerned to learn that there was a scam intending to defraud our customers and we encourage those who may have been affected to contact the local authorities and/or the federal trade commission."
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