Lottery Scam

“Nothing in life is free”

Truthfully, how many times have you heard that phrase?!! For the past two years or so, this “lotto scam” thing has taken over and it is just too much! The fact that the government is now in the process of putting in legislation to deal with this dreadful multi-million dollar problem – the root of many feuds and gruesome deaths among the scammers – highlights just how serious and widespread this scourge is.

I just read in today’s Gleaner that noted American journalist Dan Rather is seeking victims of lotto scam for his program which will air sometime during this month. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=43252 . So you see it “we name gone abroad again” ...in a negative manner!

Whereas I despise dishonest, crook-ish people in general – inclusive of scammers – I cannot for the life of me understand how some people so “ ’tupid ” to get scammed in the first place!!!

How the heck can you call me and tell me that I “won a lottery” or “won US$1,000,000” when a) I never bought a ticket (b) Never bought any product which had a million dollar promotional get-up attached (c) Don’t know anybody who would buy me a ticket to win the million dollar which they would rather keep for themselves.

To collect your “winnings” you will first have to “pay” some “fees” and so you need to “wire” money to him/her so as to cover the costs of fees. People, use COMMON SENSE (even though the word on the street is that common sense is not too common after all), why should you have to pay to collect winnings?

Late one night, while in the midst of an assignment, I got a text message. At first when the text came in I was wondering “which eeediat a send me a text at minutes to midnight”. I read the text which told me “I was the lucky winner of US$250,000 plus a 2012 F-150 truck” and that I needed “to pay processing fees of US $25,000” and thus I was to contact a specific number as soon as possible.  Did I mention that the text was coming from Ecuador? Me nuh know nobady inna Ecuador!

Therefore, in true Miss Ellie fashion, I wrote them back a quick text (fortunately I had enough credit on my phone) and politely told them to “Please take the processing fee of US$25,000 out of my US$250,000 winnings. After you have done that please text me again and I will tell you where to send the balance for me. I do not need the F-150. Thanks!”

Apparently I was not as lucky as the text had said…they never even bothered to acknowledge my text.

I would really like to find out what goes through the mind a “scamming” victim. What are they thinking?  You send and send and send all the money that you have and more, only to find out eventually that you have been bamboozled and have lost your retirement funds, house, everything.  You are a broken man or woman…

Anyway, bottom line is: do not fall prey to scammers! You simply CANNOT “win”  money without buying a ticket or making a purchase of a product or service. 

DO NOT BE GREEDY!