A man in Atlanta, Georgia was the victim of a foreign lottery mail scam on Saturday. Larry Simmons received a letter in the mail claiming he won $1.95 million in the EuroMillones lottery out of  Madrid, Spain. The letter claimed he won through a computer ballot system, and that he was one of 40 international winners. In order to claim his prize, he was urged to contact an assigned claim agent for processing; the claim agent was allegedly entitled to up to 5% of the winnings.

Simmons took the letter to local law enforcement officials and explained to them that he did not enter any foreign lotteries. This sort of mail fraud is illegal and the attorney general offers the following tips on its website of how to avoid foreign lottery scams:

 

  1. Do not give your bank account or credit car number to a person you do not know
  2. You do not have to pay for something you have “won,” whether it be charges or custom clearing fees or taxes
  3. The only legal lottery a consumer can participate in is the state-run lottery
  4. Beware of callers or mail requesting money via wire services or overnight transfers. Scam artists are able to take money from individuals through this process.

The posting on this site are mere OPINIONS and NOT statements of fact in any way whatsoever. The information should not be relied upon and there have been no findings made against the firms or individuals referenced on this site. In addition, this Blog is made available for educational purposes only and incorporates information from the web as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this blog site you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and Stoltmann Law Offices (10 S. LaSalle, Suite 3500, CHICAGO, IL 60010, 312.332.4200). The Blog opinions should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS ADVERTISING AND IT IS NOT A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE OR POST FROM AN INDEPENDENT OR NON-BIASED, NEWS SITE, NEWS SOURCE OR NEWSPAPER.