If the money was supposed to be coming from Las Vegas, why did it need to clear customs?!?!?!?! You ONLY go through customs internationally, NOT just from state to state in the US. You got so scammed! Hope you can find a way to get your money back.
Approach:
Unsolicited caller (Mr John Sanders in one case)
indicates you won a lottery for $500,000+ dollars.
to collect, you need to wire some($1000+) money for lawyer fees.
The caller negotiate a lower amount to sound legitmate
If you provide the first amount ($1000+)
then you will get a second call requesting an additional amount.
this will be for taxes or other fees.
the caller will state "this is the law"
I WAS FIRST CONTACTED BY THIS PHONE NUMBER==866-663-6878. THE MAN SAID HIS NAME WAS ALBERTO GONZALEZ AND CLAIMED HE MUST CONTACT ME AND GIVE ME A TRACKING NUMBER. THE NUMBER WAS 3069-A1620B. HE THEN TOLD ME TO CONTACT A JAMES LEE PHILLIPS THAT WORKS AT WACOVIA BANK,THEY GAVE ME ME NO LOCATION FOR THE BANK, AT 312-698-9878 AND MR. PHILLIPS TOLD ME MY NAME HAD BEEN DRAWN AND I WAS TO RECEIVE $525,000.00. HE CLAIMED THE MONEY WAS COMING FROM LAS VEGAS, NEVADA AS A TAX WRIGHT OFF. HE SAID I WAS TO SEND THROUGH WESTERN UNION 856.68, I TOLD HIM I DID NOT HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY AT THIS TIME, HE THEN TRANSFERRED ME TO A LOAN OFFICER TO NEGOCIATE THE AMOUNT AND SEE IF IT COULD BE LOWERED. THE MAN, I DID NOT GET A NAME, ASKED IF I COULD AFFORED TO SEND $525.00, I TOLD HIM I COULD NOT EVEN AFFORED THAT BECAUSE MY HUSBAND AND I ARE RECIEVING DISABILITY INCOME, HE THEN LOWERED THE AMOUNT EVEN MORE TO $400.00, I SAID NO, AND HE ASKED ME IF THERE WAS ANY WAY I COULD BORROW IT, I TOLD TO LET ME SEE WHAT I COULD AND I WOULD GIVE HIM A CALL RIGHT BACK AT 312-698-9878. AT THAT NUMBER THEY AGAIN TRANSFERRED ME TO THE LOAN OFFICER. I HAD GOT A LOAN FROM MY BANK IN THE AMOUNT OF 400.00 THAT I REALLY COULD NOT AFFORD, HE TOLD ME THAT WOULD DO IT, THEN HE SENT ME BACK TO MR. PHILLIPS. MR.PHILLIPS SAID I MUST SEND THE MONEY THROUGH WESTERN UNION ONLY, TO 103 HOLLIS AVE. QUEENS, NY 11428, THE MONEY ORDER WAS TO BE SENT TO YANILZA VILLARREAL WHO HE CLAIMED WAS A LAWYER FOR FEDERAL BUREAU OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS. I SENT THE MONEY WITHIN MINUTES, WHICH COST ME 36.00, SO THEY WOULD RECIEVE THE MONEY FASTER. HE SAID AFTER I HAD SENT THE MONEY TO GET BACK HOME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND GIVE HIM THE CONFIRMATION NUMBER AS PROOF THAT I HAD SENT THE MONEY. AFTER I GAVE HIM THE NUMBER HE SAID THERE WILL BE 3 PEOPLE COMING TO MY HOUSE WITHIN THREE HOURS, THERE WAS TO BE 2 ARMED MEN AND 1 LADY TO COUNT MY MONEY RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME, HE CLAIMED THE MONEY WOULD BE CASH IN CASE MY BANK DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH IN THEIR VAULT TO CASH A CHECK OF THAT AMOUNT. I WAITED 3 HOURS ANXIOUSLY, AND NO ONE SHOWED UP. I GAVE IT AN EXTRA HOUR THINKING MAYBE THEY WERE HAVING TROUBLE FINDING MY ADDRESS. I THEN CALLED THE NUMBER BACK AND A MR. DAVID OBRIEN TOLD ME MR. PHILLIPS WAS IN A MEETING, THAT THEY WORKED TOGETHER AND HE COULD HELP ME AS WELL AS MR. PHILLIPS COULD. I ASKED WHY THEIR PEOPLE HAD NOT SHOWED UP YET, HE TOLD ME HE WOULD GET IN CONTACT WITH MR. PHILLIPS AND FIND OUT WHAT THE HOLDUP WAS AND LET ME KNOW. WITHIN MINUTES MR. PHILLIPS CALLED ME BACK AND CLAIMED THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH US CUSTOMS AT AN AIRPORT, HE THEN SAID THAT MR. OBRIEN HAD FAILED TO INFORM ME THAT THE MONEY HAD TO CLEAR THROUGH US CUSTOMS AT THE AIRPORT, THEY NEVER MENTIONED WHAT AIPORT, HE CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT CLEAR THE MONEY THROUGH CUSTOMS UNTIL I SENT A TOTAL OF 1,400.00, I TOLD HIM I DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY AND COULD NOT GET IT BACAUSE I HAD ALREADY BORROWED THE 400.00. THEN HE SAID HE WOULD SPEAK WITH THE MANAGER AT WAKOVIA BANK, AND HE SAID HE WOULD GET BACK WITH ME IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES. AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM HIM SINCE.
MY NAME IS MARY MOSS,
MY HOME NUMBER IS
307-460-3678
IF THERE IS ANYONE WHO
COULD HELP ME GET MY
436.00 BACK PLEASE
CONTACT ME.
Mary, I hate to tell you this but, you have been scammed! There is not a lottery or prize package out there that you have to send money to them first in order to get "winnings".
Called saying I needed to respond to a court action regarding a resatraining order and needed to appear. Please forward this info (some numbers and codes) to my attorney. Someone is filing a restraining order on me from Illinios?? Funny, because I live in teh other side of the United states!!