FOREIGN LOTTERY SCHEME

Everyone hopes to win the lottery some day, but be careful that your desire to strike it rich doesn’t make you the victim of a clever scam.

The foreign lottery scams are making the rounds once again, and sadly, people still fall for them. These schemes take a variety of different forms. Instead of giving you money, crooks are trying to take yours, or are out to steal your personal information.

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Here are some important things to remember:

• Don’t give out personal information to a person or business you don’t know.

• Don’t believe anyone who guarantees you a prize. That is a warning sign of fraud.

• You shouldn’t have to pay money to claim a prize. If you are the winner, then there shouldn’t be any strings attached.

• Always beware of unsolicited calls or mailings. You can’t win a contest or lottery that you didn’t buy a ticket for.

Another thing many people might not realize is, it’s actually illegal in Canada to buy a ticket or win a lottery in another country. Even if this wasn’t a scam, you would be out of luck anyway.

© May 22, 2007: Global News Edmonton