Fake lottery ticket scams in South Florida

Broward Sheriff’s Office is drawing attention these days on the most recent type of scam practiced in South Florida, the so-called “lottery scam”, illustrated by a specific and recent case happened in Broward County. 

Broward Sheriff’s Office economic crimes detectives have released a composite sketch of one of two unidentified women who are targeting immigrants and elderly victims in order to obtain significant amounts of money in a lottery scam.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the women are believed to be involved in multiple such scamming incidents and use various aliases. As in this example, the perpetrators of this type of lottery scams are posing as illegal immigrants in possession of a winning lottery ticket and in need of an immigration attorney and someone to help them receive the money for their winning ticket.

The criminals approach their victims either as friends or one at a time as complete strangers and tell them that they have a winning lottery ticket. The scam regularly involves a fake call to the lottery administration offices to verify the winning ticket, a call that is actually made to an accomplice.

The suspects are targeting segments that are usually easier to trick into this type of scam, including immigrants and the elderly. 

In the case publicized by Broward Sheriff’s Office, on May 22, 2013, the two individuals have talked one of their victims into withdrawing $10,400 from her bank. They got away with another significant amount of money on June 14, 2013, when they drove their victim home where she gave them $10,000 cash. 

For this specific case, BSO is asking for anyone with information to contact BSO Sgt. William Weir at 954-321-4255 or Broward Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or www.browardcrimestoppers.org.