New Spin on Sweepstakes Scams; Scammers May Impersonate Government
Agencies
The Federal Trade Commission has issued an alert for consumers that
sweepstakes scam artists may be impersonating government agencies in an effort to convince consumers
that they have won a monetary 'prize.' The alert says that scammers, claiming to be from the non-existent
National Sweepstakes Bureau, the 'national consumer protection agency,' and even the FTC, tell consumers
that the supposed government agency is supervising the distribution of sweepstakes winnings. They also
may give consumers a phone number at an actual government agency or use Internet technology to make it
appear that they are calling from Washington, DC.
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