LAKE COUNTY — Kelseyville resident Marva Brandt wasn”t fooled when she got a check in the mail last week for $4,555 and a letter claiming she had won the lottery.
“The check looks entirely valid, and it”s from a well-known bank. But I didn”t buy a lottery ticket, so I knew it was too good to be true,” Brandt said.
The letter said the check was to cover a $3,050 “non-resident government tax,” and asked for a Western Union money transfer payable to an individual in the United Kingdom. The letter advised Brandt that she could not claim her alleged winnings of “up to $10,000” if she did not respond within 15 days.
Instead of depositing the check in her account and wiring the money, Brandt reported it to the Lakeport Police Department (LPD) during a shopping trip in town.
Lt. Brad Rasmussen of the LPD said Brandt”s story is similar to scam reports the department hears routinely. He said the case is not being investigated because Brandt didn”t lose any money and because the scam”s overseas origin makes it hard to investigate.
“Anyone who is receiving a random check in the mail with an offer that they have won money should be suspicious, particularly if the person sending it wants you to send money in return,” Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said a city police department in North Carolina agreed last week to take over the investigation into an Internet fraud case where a Lakeport resident lost $8,300 to scammers. She cashed checks on the premise that she could keep 10 percent as part of an in-home business opportunity, according to a July 11 LPD press release.
Information on the check Brandt got indicated that Northland Insurance Group wrote it, and that it was from a Wells Fargo branch in Red Wing, Minn. Further investigation revealed that the street address given for the branch was one digit off. Wells Fargo spokesperson Julie Campbell said the account number on the check was invalid.
“We tell people to make sure check funds are deposited into their account before any funds are transferred out. For instance, if you get a check for $5,000, make sure that amount is in your account before you transfer any money out,” Campbell said.
The logic Brandt used ? that she couldn”t have won a contest she didn”t enter ? also applies, according to Campbell. She added that lottery scams and similar fraudulent notifications can arrive by mail, fax or e-mail.
Rasmussen said anyone who suspects they are being scammed should contact the law enforcement agency for their jurisdiction. The LPD press release advised citizens to also be aware of telephone scams, and to avoid giving out personal information over the phone.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
