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Date Posted: 00:09:53 12/30/03 Tue
Author: Jimmy
Subject: Beware of lottery scam artists

MONDAY ONLINE REVIEW
Beware of lottery scam artists
By DUANE SHERRILL / Mid-South News Network



With the new Tennessee lottery on the horizon, the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to beware of scam artists.

One such scam, already in full swing, is Alpha Lottery International which is targeting Internet users. The scam tells its marks they have won $800,000, picked as the lucky winner from a field of 500 million e-mail addresses. The BBB suggests recipients simply discard such e-mails.

"A copy of an e-mail notification placed on file with the Better Business Bureau is alerting Middle Tennesseans that their e-mail address, attached to lottery tickets held internationally, have won them $800,000," said Kathleen Calligan, president & CEO of the Better Business Bureau. "The e-mail asks you to keep your winning information confidential until your prize has been processed and sent to you. To claim the winnings, the e-mail asks you to call an international telephone number that will connect you to the lottery agent. The Better Business Bureau cautions consumers to never give any personal information to anyone with which you are unfamiliar. Your personal information is key data that is often used in identity theft.”

Any information given to such scam artists can be used in a variety of illegal ways, all of which can cost the victim. Such personal information can be used by the scam artist to obtain fake credit cards and bank accounts in the victim’s name. Winners of actual lotteries are not asked for personal information or any up-front service charge.

"As Tennessee consumers anticipate the state’s lottery, more and more lottery related scams will surface to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers," says Calligan. “Consumers should understand that foreign lotteries are illegal. Real lottery winners will have the winnings delivered free of charge with no processing fee or agent fee charged to the winner. Taxes are paid by the winner directly to the IRS.”

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