Just a reminder to be careful out there:
- Telemarketing thieves sharpen their focus on the elderly: "Guthrie, who lives in Iowa, had entered a few sweepstakes that caused his name to appear in a database advertised by infoUSA, one of the largest compilers of consumer information. InfoUSA sold his name, and data on other elderly Americans, to known lawbreakers, regulators say." - The Boston Globe
- Sweepstakes scam targets local couple: "Con artists, using carefully scripted language, may tell you a "free prize" will be sent to you as soon as you pay a nominal fee." - Baraboo News Republic
- False sweepstakes seek to swindle seniors: "A letter arrives in the mail saying you've won more than $50,000 in a national shopping sweepstakes. The only catch: You have to pay nearly $5,000 in prize taxes, using an enclosed cashier's check, before you can receive your winnings." - Payson Roundup
- Oprah’s name spoofed in sweepstakes scam: "The sweepstakes letters being mailed to consumers have a check enclosed that is made payable to the letter recipient. The checks look real but are actually counterfeit. Consumers should disregard these letters and should not attempt to cash the checks." - Blogger News Network
Worried that a particular sweepstakes might be too good to be true? Fraud.org has a handy list of guidelines for spotting sweepstakes frauds.
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