| ian Sweepstakes scam is the name given to a | | | | be required for a variety of reasons. Sometimes |
| type of scam that is widely acknowledged as the | | | | it is to cover the taxes that all winners have to |
| most successful of scams ever. It is estimated | | | | pay, sometimes as administrative fees in |
| that victims who have fallen to Canadian | | | | operating the lottery. The victims are asked to |
| sweepstakes fraud have been cheated of more | | | | send the money to Canada. |
| than US$5 billion. Fraudsters of this genre like to | | | | Those who submit the money first time around |
| have their base in Canada. | | | | are contacted to give some more. They would be |
| Canada is regarded a safe haven for operating | | | | told that their winnings have been upgraded. They |
| this scam. Most of the scams are run out of | | | | are offered the first prize now as the original |
| Canadian soil. This is why the scam was given the | | | | winner was disqualified from the contest. |
| name Canadian Sweepstakes scam. The country | | | | Or it is claimed that prize was being held up by |
| is known to hold out light punishments for | | | | the government who are demanding some more |
| telemarketing fraud related crimes. This | | | | fees. The caller acts as the middleman and would |
| encourages swindlers and fraudsters to act out | | | | ask for more money as part of his fees. |
| scams from its territory. | | | | Avoid these fraudsters at all cost! |
| Although operating out of one country, you will | | | | People who are contacted by these fraudsters |
| find that the victims of the scam are spread all | | | | should avoid them like the plague. They take to |
| over the world. People who fill out lottery forms | | | | this line because they are masters in the art of |
| in the hope of participating in them are particularly | | | | smooth talking. They are so good that they can |
| at risk. Their names, phone numbers, addresses | | | | gain trust of anyone effortlessly. |
| and email addresses are sold to fraudsters who | | | | These criminals are known to cheat compulsively. |
| perpetrate this scam. | | | | They claim to get a thrill out of swindling |
| Anatomy of the Scam | | | | somebody. They act so convincingly that within a |
| The elderly are made prime targets of the scam. | | | | few minutes of talking, anybody can get hooked. |
| They are often lonely and are always on the | | | | Moreover the police are not able to do anything in |
| lookout for someone to talk to. Someone with | | | | these types of scams. Since the criminals use |
| whom they can share their problems. But there is | | | | internet and cell phones, they are able to cover |
| a significant other reason why fraudsters warm | | | | their tracks easily. As a result, police find it very |
| up to them. They have a substantial amount of | | | | hard to trace them. |
| money in the form of their lifetime savings. | | | | It would be impossible, therefore, to recover lost |
| Victims of the Canadian sweepstakes scam are | | | | money. People should be wary of these scams. |
| contacted by email, phone or by ordinary mail. | | | | They should not as much as reply back to them. |
| They are given the news that they had just won | | | | Because once they respond, they can only sit and |
| a lottery. To claim the prize, they are first asked | | | | watch as their hard-earned money goes down |
| to send some money. This money can be said to | | | | the drain. |