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Too Good To Be True
Message was posted: 01:28 Jun 10th, 2006

User: RoyalFlush Rank: Member Casino Gold: 2710CG Contributor rating: 7080 Status: Offline And isn't it a hallmark of a free society that we don't outlaw otherwise inoffensive vices simply because some people harm themselves? - LA Times Editorial

Lottery News from http://www.wcax.com/ South Burlington, Vermont - June 9, 2006 Like an increasing number of Vermonters, Nancy Liddic of Essex Junction recently received a letter saying she had won the lottery. "Congratulations! You just won $65,000, and here's a check for $4,500." But this seemingly great piece of news turned out to be not so great. Along with the letter came a check for $4,500 and a message asking to send back all of that money for insurance and handling fees. The problem? The check turned out to be a fraud. "Vermont banks are seeing really an epidemic increase in these bogus counterfeit checks. The reports to our consumer assistance program... over 50 since April 1, and I'm sure that's just the tip of the iceberg," commented Bill Sorrell, D-Vt. Attorney General. The tip of an iceberg that has scammed many Vermonters and taken their money. "We want to get the word out there to be real cautious of anything you receive from unknown parties, particularly if it's lottery winnings and particularly if they ask you to return money to get money in any way," said Bill Smith, the VP of Operations at the North County Federal Credit Union. Banks in Vermont like the North Country Federal Credit Union are seeing more and more of this kind of fraud. Experts say this is happening because of better technology in creating fraudulent checks and money orders, as well as the fact that criminals are targeting more rural areas, like Vermont. "Larger metropolitan areas have been targeted in the past, and I think they're more wary of these situations now. So now their targeting more rural areas of the country where people aren't as aware," continued Smith. "Believe me, if you get a check in the mail that you don't expect, 999 out of 1,000 times it's bogus," concluded Sorrell. A poignant reminder that if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.