Local woman falls victim to old scam with a new twist

Another scam has found its way to Fallon and a local woman who sent money for a chance to win $1.9 million wants to warn others so they don't become victims.

The 25-year-old resident, who asked that only her first name be used, said she received a letter in the mail about two weeks ago telling her she could be eligible for the big cash drawing and would receive coupons if she sent $11.88 to Huntington Prize Reports.

LeeAnn said she mailed a check but never received any coupons, which were touted to be worth $2,500.

A few days later, she said, she received another letter informing her that she was a guaranteed winner but needed to send a check for $19.95 for processing fees.

By this time, LeeAnn was suspicious and went online to check out the company.

She found a site where other victims complained about sending money and receiving nothing in return.

"I looked it up on the Internet and found out it is a big rip-off," LeeAnn said. "I was mad because they stole $11.88 from me."

The Federal Trade Commission urges anyone who becomes the victim of a scam to report it. Complaint forms are included on the agency's web site: www.ftc.gov.

It reports that asking for processing fees to collect sweepstakes winnings is a new twist on an age-old scam.

"If you have to pay to collect your winnings, you haven't won anything. Legitimate sweepstakes don't require you to pay 'insurance,' 'taxes' or 'shipping and handling charges' to collect your prize," the FTC reports.

The federal agency said scammers are becoming bolder, often using names of government agencies and actual phone numbers to hide their location. Crooks have even claimed to be from the Federal Trade Commission in some cases.

LeeAnn said she's glad she learned that the sweepstakes offer was not legitimate before sending any more money.

"I was just getting ready to mail off another check," she said.

Marlene Garcia can be contacted at mgarcia@lahontanvalleynews.com