(WXYZ) — Sweepstakes and lottery scams are nothing new, but sometimes, there's an influx in cases that prompts a warning. That's the situation right now in metro Detroit.
The Better Business Bureau wants you to know the scammers are out for your hard-earned cash or personal information.
Pap Papciak, from St. Clair Shores, was targeted twice. She recently got a call that said she won $50,000. But, the caller instructed her to go to the Post Office, buy a money order, and send them to the caller to pay the taxes first.
She said the scammers wanted her to send $1,000 right away. But Papciak had never entered a sweepstakes, and she knows you don't pay money to get contest winnings.
"I called the Better Business Bureau because I didn't want anybody else getting this call and actually sending him money," she said.
This was not the first time she was targeted. Earlier this year, she opened her mail and found a "check" for nearly $5,000. It came with a letter stating she'd won $3,000. However, she would have to deposit the check, then send four separate $1,000 checks in order to receive her winnings.
Ashley Gibbard from the Better Business Bureau said her office is getting several calls every week about these types of scams. In some cases, Gibbard said the scammers are claiming they're from the BBB or using the name of a local law enforcement agency to make the scheme seem more believable.
"Where are you seeing this scam pop up the most right now in Michigan?" I asked.
“Metro Detroit, definitely. Wayne County, Oakland County, Macomb County," she said.
Here are some reminders from the BBB:
- You must enter to buy a ticket to win.
- True lotteries or sweepstakes don't ask for money
- Law enforcement and the BBB will not call you to award prizes
- You may be on the hook for any funds drawn from a fake check
The BBB asks consumers to report any suspected scams to their BBB Scam Tracker.
