Don't send money to Canada, police say

Six residents of the Valley have been cheated out of a total of $21,000.
& lt;a href=mailto:meade@vindy.com & gt;By PATRICIA MEADE & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- If you've been contacted by mail or phone and asked to send money to Canada to claim lottery or sweepstakes winnings, don't do it.
It's a scam being perpetrated primarily on older people, said Detective Sgt. Rick Spotleson. The victims' common denominator is that they participate in a lot of sweepstakes and lotteries, he said.
So far, the fraud has affected two people in Youngstown, two in Boardman and one each in Poland and Struthers, said Lt. Robin Lees. The total amount scammed from the six is $21,000.
Lees said potential victims have been contacted by phone or mail and told they've won a lottery or sweepstakes and to collect, they must pay a processing fee, duty or taxes. They are instructed to send the money to an address in Canada.
The victims are typically told they've won millions.
In one variation of the scam, victims receive a letter, and when they call a toll-free number they are given an address in Canada where to send money. Sometimes the victims are called at home and then receive a letter, Lees said.
How scheme works
Spotleson said those involved in the scheme ask that the money be wired, which can be done at Western Union, for example. Once the money has been wired, the suspects ask for the confirmation number.
"Once you give them the confirmation number, you're supposed to get your winnings. There are no winnings," Spotleson said. "We want to let people know and be aware. Any foreign sweepstakes is illegal, and this is fraud."
The detective said he's not sure how widespread the scheme is nationwide but feels it's highly underreported. Locally, the sweepstakes and lottery scam began in March, with the most recent victim being a woman in Poland who has been contacted for the second time, he said. He said police also have received a report of an attempted scam in Austintown, adding that the victims range in age from 60 to 80.
Working the case are Ontario police, Canadian Mounties, the FBI, U.S. Customs agents, U.S. Postal Service, Federal Trade Commission and local police.
Anyone with information is asked to call his local police or postmaster, Spotleson said. He can be reached at (330) 742-8911.
& lt;a href=mailto:meade@vindy.com & gt;meade@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;