Sweepstakes Scammers Pose as Government Officials

In an ironic twist, scammers promoting bogus and costly sweepstakes scams are posing as officials of the Federal Trade Commission -- the very federal agency that is chasing them down.

Claiming to represent "the national consumer protection agency," the non-existent "National Sweepstakes Bureau," and even the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the high-tech scammers use names of government agencies and legitimate phone numbers that mask their actual locations.

The scam itself, warns the FTC is one of the oldest sweepstakes traps around. The cons convince the victim to send in money to claim a sweepstakes "prize" they've supposedly won. The tricked victims send the money to collect their "winnings" which, of course, never existed.

In an FTC Consumer Alert, agents warn consumers that legitimate sweepstakes organizers never require winners to pay anything, including "insurance," "taxes" or "shipping and handling charges" to collect the prizes. "If you have to pay to collect your winnings, you haven't won anything," warns the FTC.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

Also See:
FTC Offers Advice on Dealing With Rising Gas Prices (2004)
FTC Warns of Envelope Stuffing Schemes
FTC Cracks Down On "Free" Grant Company