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David
N. Kirkman
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North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services |
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Seniors
Now Being Targeted from Costa Rica The staff of the Attorney General's Telemarketing Fraud Prevention Project wish to advise fellow Task Force members of a new development in the fraudulent lottery and sweepstakes arena. Many of the initial communications from members of this fraud industry to U.S. seniors are coming from Costa Rica. Several fraud groups now appear to have set up shop there. They have purchased from U.S. list brokers the names, addresses and phone numbers of older adults who enter sweepstakes and other contests. Whether their communications with older U.S. consumers are initiated in writing or via the telephone, the main hallmark of their fraudulent activities is a request to wire money to Costa Rica. Several North Carolina seniors have received mailings concerning sweepstakes or lottery prizes, followed by calls that appear to originate within the United States. The fraud artists often claim to be calling from a U.S. city, and three-digit North American area codes will appear on the consumers' Caller ID displays. The calls are placed from centers in Costa Rica via the Internet with "spoofed" Caller ID information that hides the true origin of the calls. The callers represent that the consumer has, in fact, won the international contest referenced in the mailing, then direct the consumer to wire a few thousand dollars to a person who supposedly works for a well-known British insurance company's Western Hemisphere headquarters. They claim these headquarters are in Costa Rica. The fraud artists tell their intended victim that the requested funds will pay the premium on the required insurance policy that protects the prize or award as it is being transported to North Carolina. The fraud artists then collect the victim's money at Costa Rican wire service outlets and disappear without a trace. ******End of Alert****** |
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