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Lottery scam in region

by ashley wiehle, the southern

Saturday, May 27, 2006 7:02 AM CDT

A realistic-looking check making the rounds among area residents has packed a punch for unsuspecting people “ and their bank accounts.

The Williamson County Sheriff Department has been fielding complaints from area residents who have received a letter from the "Euro International Lotto." The letter informs the recipient that he or she has won a large sum of money.

An enclosed check - a $1,965 realistic fake with a Chase Manhattan Bank insignia - is to cover the taxes associated with winning the faux European lottery, the letter informs.

The letter instructs the victim to deposit the check and call the number given on the letter for further information. When the person makes the call, he is advised to send the same amount to an address in Canada through the Western Union.

The check is fraudulent and will be returned after a deposit, said Williamson County Sheriff Tom Cundiff - minus the same amount of money from the checking account deposited.

Cundiff said he would recommend anyone who receives this letter report to PhoneBusters.com, a Canadian agency that collects information on potential scams and reports to the authorities.

In addition, residents can contact Reporting Economic Crime Online at www.recol.ca. RECOL is a web-based Canadian database concerning fraud. Residents may also contact the Federal Bureau of Investigations' Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

ashley.wiehle@thesouthern.com

(618) 997-3356 ext. 5807