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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