Just received a call, said I won 800k in consumer clearing house sweeps, also was plugged in to attorney wm.falco, wanted 1,500$ up front and given # to federal gaming and trade commission (202-379-1884 and a claim #, was told to call back @ 512-696-1418 to speak with falco after calling trade commission. BEWARE!
Received a phone call on my landline. The caller ID was from Texas, female voice said I won second place cash prize from a major clearing house. "Do you want to know how much you won?" I said, yes. She said $800,000. She asked me how I felt. I said, "unbelievable, I don't believe it" she hung up.
Obviously a scam of some sort. Lady identified herself as from "XYZ Law firm" ...caller ID said from Austin Texas....she asked if I had "already been notified of the money I had won." I have learned to not respond ....I told her before she continued with her script "No, you are a scammer" ... she immediately hung up. Obviously I identified her correctly. The number on the caller ID did not represent the real number she was calling from ..."not a working number" ....apparently not a difficult process to arrange for these scammers......
On Mon 3-13-17, I received a phone call(from above number) from a female all excited and told me that I had won $800,000. She then proceeded to tell me that I had won the SECOND prize in the Publishers Clearing House drawing, and that amount was $800,000. She asked me numerous times if I was excited, and would I be home Wed between 10am and 2pm for a courier (from Global Security Express) to come to my home and drop off a certified check. She was specific that I needed positive identification to show the courier After a short amount of small talk, she stated that she was going to transfer me to Attorney Falco.
A short time passed and a male voice came on the line and stated that he was Attorney Falco and was an International Attorney. He was with the Law Firm of FALCO, Berkowitz, and Associates in Austin, Texas. He further explained that the certified check drawn from a bank in Europe and would take three days to clear after I deposited it. In the meantime, Federal Taxes would need to be paid. The current Income tax rate was 43% and the Federal Income Tax would be $344,000 that I would be responsible for. He could help me with $10,500. However, he had connections with the Union Bank International in Manila, Philippines Islands that would cover 90% of the tax, leaving me to have to come up with $1500.00. He then asked me if I could come up with this amount of money. Of course I said that would be no problem. I then said that I didn't fully understand and proceeded to ask him numerous questions about who he was, what were the company names, etc, etc. However, when I asked him for his (Lawyer's) Bar Association number and License he refused to give them to me stating they were confidential. I told him they were public knowledge that I could get from the Bar Association. He became frustrated with me and finally I told him he was a SCAMMER and I hung up.
PS. On Wednesday no courier came with the check :)