Denise
Topeka,#2Consumer Suggestion
Wed, July 04, 2007
Good job!! You decided to research this scam before doing something you'd regret. Always remember that if someone tells you you just won the lottery; if you didn't enter, pay for and receive a ticket, receive notification by e-mail, must pay taxes upfront, it's a scam! Besides, international lotteries are illegal. These con artists also told you not to tell the bank about your good fortune. That doesn't matter because any check that's over $10,000, the bank will most likely notify the IRS anyway. As for taxes, they are to be deducted directly from the winnings. Legitimate lotteries do not send checks to cover taxes! Ask your local lottery office. You NEVER have to pay any fees/taxes before you receive your prize! And you don't do your W-2s, lottery offices and employers do. The IRS website clarifies this. It's also good you never cashed the check. Whether or not you knew the check was phony, you still would owe the bank back the amount of the check, plus any occuring fees. As for the previous poster, the bank cashed it in good faith, only to find out it's a con. Is it fair you got your money but the bank was not reimbursed for cashing a phony check? They deserve that money back. You cannot keep something that was frauduently give to you. Wachovia was the one being taken advantage of. If they are taking the social security checks, they must apply them to the amount owed. They can't take it and say you still owe the full amount. The only thing you can do to avoid them taking money from your account, is to not cash your checks there or stop the direct deposit and have Social Security mail you a check. You can then make payment arrengements 'til everything is caught up. Just be aware, that the bank or each business can sue for the bad checks if they're not paid or had arragements to pay. Even if you are sued and received judgment, you'd still be allowed some type of payment arragement. However, if you still cannot pay, the good thing is social security checks are free from garnishment. Some state don't allow garnishment anyway. The problem with scams like this, they're practically impossible to trace and catch the scammer(s). About they only thing we can do is to file a complaint with the FTC and the National Fraud Information Center. In the future, if you find this in your mailbox or your e-mail, just throw it away. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Ochal
Darby,#3Consumer Suggestion
Wed, July 04, 2007
We also submitted a rip off report. Please read it. It is about how we were scamed and then wachovia jerked us also. We were wondering if you took out the funds and if so were you charged for fraud check and other fees from the bank? As of now it is the first report listed unless someone else writes a new one but it is dated 7/2/07. We are trying to get enough people together for a possible class action. Our email address is: xxx. Please, if wachovia is charging you for this fraud then write us. CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.