Lvaap, cdra sweepstakes ripoff Boca Raton Florida
I received a notice from this comapny stating i won 3.341.006.00$ No phone number or web address was given however i did notice that. thye asked fro 20.00$ so official documents could be processed and sent to me and i sent the money. being a single parent I thought this was my ticket so I was skeptical but more excited than skeptic. i have loss the 20.00$ which is a small loss but i hope that this letter helps consumers beware i was unprepared for the ripoffs that are out there and they got me but i swear this is the last time, i will always investigate a company first and hope you do to.
Katryna
Lagrange, Georgia
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
John
Chandler,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Here you go
#2Consumer Comment
Fri, March 10, 2006
Mailings from the LVAAP have started showing up in Lebanon mailboxes, and residents should be aware it is a scam.
"You are officially sworn to secrecy," the top of the enclosed letter proclaims in all capital letters. "Absolutely confidential."
Erica Cecil of Lebanon received the LVAAP mailing within the past few weeks, and she was suspicious about the claims.
"I wasn't going to send them $20," she said. "As soon as I typed it into Google, it came up as a big scam."
In the past 36 months, the southern Nevada branch of the Better Business Bureau has received 91 complaints about LVAAP, which is just one of the business names used by Lapham, Vargas and Cornell. The group also operates as the Bureau of Public Relations, Prize World, Incorporated, PWI, Selective Award Citation Organization/America, and Marketing Imaging, LLC, according to the Better Business Bureau.
"This has been going on for a while," said Reanna D. Smith, communications director of the Better Business Bureau's Louisville office.
A copy of the mailing provided to the Enterprise indicates the recipient has a confirmed prized of $3,341,006, which the recipient has not collected. The names of three other people who supposedly have collected their multi-million dollar prizes are also listed.
The recipient is asked to send $20 via cash, check or money order for a report about the prize.
Lebanon Police Chief Shelton Young said 98 out of 100 of these solicitations are bogus.
"You should assume it isn't OK until you find out it is," he advised.
The small print of the LVAAP mailing reads, "LVAAP is a research company that provides information on available sweepstakes that are open to the public for entry. Subscribers are solely responsible for investigating, viewing and complying with any and all rules, restrictions, requirements, or provisions set forth in all sweepstakes."
The original envelope lists a Las Vegas address for LVAAP, but the postage paid envelope inside the mailing is addressed to a post office box in Boca Raton, Fla.
Kentucky isn't the only state LVAAP has targeted.
Last July, Oklahoma City television station KFOR reported on the letters. That same month, the Better Business Bureau of Amarillo, Texas, posted an article on its website warning people about the letters, and in September, WNDU in Indiana also reported about the LVAAP.
Young said people should not reply to these types of solicitations.
"Any time they are asking $20 for $1 million, that falls in the 'duh' category," he said.
Legitimate business mailings will have phone numbers for people to call and will be registered in some way, Young added. People can contact the postal inspector, the Better Business Bureau or the Attorney General's Office if they have concerns about a mailing they have received.
To file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office, consumers can call (888) 432-9257. The Better Business Bureau can be reached at (800) 388-2222.
The following tips about sweepstakes scams were listed on the Kentucky Attorney General's website:
Some contest promoters use names that resemble official organizations or use an envelope that looks like it contains an important government document or check. Don't be deceived by these letters that look official, or urgent. Pitch them!
Read the letter carefully, including the fine print. Here you may find hidden requirements that you must meet before you can receive your prize. Remember, free is free. Never pay for a free prize.
Be cautious of contest promoters who use a toll-free "800" number that directs you to dial a pay-per-call "900" number. Charges for these calls are often very high.
Beware if a contest promotion company urges you to send money by an overnight delivery or courier service. Fraudulent telemarketers sometimes use these services to take your money fast - before you realize that you have been cheated.
Do not give your checking account or credit card numbers to unsolicited callers. Some may claim to already have your number and ask you for verification in order for you to claim your "prize". This is a gimmick!
Be wary of offers that claim to be "limited time only" and offers that urge you to "buy on the spot."
Check out companies with the Attorney General's Office or the Better Business Bureau; however, this is not foolproof: there may be no record of complaints if a company is too new or has changed its name.
Some telemarketers may try to make you feel guilty, or they may verbally abuse you if you say "no" to their offer. Hang up the phone immediately and report this abusive behavior to the Attorney General's Office.
Never order magazines from a promotional company in order to better your chances of winning their sweepstakes. The odds of winning are the same - and that is very slim.
Fraudulent telemarketers may reach you when you're lonely. They may call often and claim to be your friend. They only want your money!