Lorain/Elyria, OH
Local woman tricked by faux sweepstakes
CAMDEN TWP. — Carol Matcham thought the call was a godsend — she’d won $500,000 in the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.
To get the money, she just needed to clear up some tax liabilities, the caller told her, so she got a $4,200 money order and sent it to an address in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Three weeks later, Matcham, 69, is a little red-faced.
The call was a fraud, and she’s probably out the money, according to the Lorain County Sheriff’s and the Ohio Attorney General’s offices.
An investigation shows phone numbers that Matcham called have been linked to scams, said sheriff’s Deputy Mike Folley. Plus, a female “lawyer” whom Matcham talked to — supposedly in Albany, N.Y. — is always unavailable when Folley calls.
At least Matcham said she did not send the woman, who identified herself as Joanne Thomas, any more money.
She said Thomas told her she had won the $500,000 but would have to pay $127,000 in taxes — unless Matcham took advantage of Thomas’ expertise.
“She said she would cut me a real good deal on taxes — $67,500 — but I would have to come up with $4,200 upfront,” Matcham said.
A few days later, Thomas called to say she needed to send more money.
Matcham went to the bank, only to have a teller tell her, “Please don’t tell me you won the sweepstakes.”
The Sheriff’s Department began investigating, and Folley prepared a police report that will be forwarded to Ohio Attorney General Nancy H. Rogers and to the FBI. Unfortunately, he is not very hopeful the money can be recovered, because it has left the country.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Heath Tester said the Sheriff’s Office has been getting two or three complaints a week about Internet or telemarketing scams. For example, some of the scams alert individuals that they have won $50,000 in the Canadian Lottery and just need to send $8,000 to cover the taxes.
Sadly, these kinds of crimes happen a lot, and the victims are often too embarrassed to talk about them, he said.
Not Matcham, who decided to speak up to help others.
“It’s very embarrassing, but I don’t want someone else to get hurt,” she said.
She’s already talked about her experience to a group at Brighton United Methodist Church.
Matcham said the woman who scammed her was very personable and told her she would help her over “bumps in the road.”
“She said, ‘Now don’t get upset, I’m going to come out and we’ll have a nice meal and be the best of friends,’” Matcham said.
“If this woman has to make a living by taking advantage of people, I think she needs God’s help more than I do,” she said.
Matcham said she probably feared telling her son about losing the money more than anybody. But he took it in stride and jokingly telephoned his Mom to tell her that she had won a prize, she said.
Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.
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I cannot feel sorry for people who fall for these scams. The media has been warning about them for years and peoples greed still gets them ripped off. A good example are the Nigerian email scams. They still work wonderfully despite repeated warnings about them. P.T Barnum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute”. He knew this, but so do con-men, grifters and thieves.
There’s going to be a few people who will read this story and fall for a con game or fraud in the future. It’s all about the greed and nothing but the greed. I know because I used to play this game.
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I agree, Jack. Sometimes I can’t believe how ignorant people are. Sent $4,200 to Tel Aviv? I mean, COME ON!
I get a scam email at LEAST once a day in my inbox. I have never gotten a phone call, but you can bet your bottom dollar I’d be laughing them off the line. Sheesh!
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Ditto. When the news tells about these types of scams, it seems to always be an older person and they feel sorry for them. My grandparents are in their 80s, still watch the news religiously, and don’t fall for this stuff. I, too, can’t understand it with all the warnings out there and just the common sense God gave you. If it sounds too good to be true, IT IS! And whoever heard of having to pay for something AFTER you’ve won???
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I wonder if giving by bank account to this gentleman from england who said he would give 5000000 USD was a bad idea too?
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LAGRANGER - Once a day? You are lucky. I receive many a day. They come from all over the world. Makes me feel popular. They all go into the junk folder. There’s a website where people post how they mess with the scammers. It’s called 419 Eater. Look them up. It’s a funny sight and amazing what they can get the scammers to do.
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On one hand I feel sorry for her because she is elderly, but on the other hand — like has been previously said — the media has been warning us for years about this! People really need to start using their common sense!
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Old folks come from a time when honesty use to mean something.
Now it’s pretty much just a word, with the biggest liars making the most noise about their word being their bond.
Something else I miss about the good old days, is when someone taking advantage of old folks might just get worked over with baseball bats.
Back in the good old days, I think my favorite words were, “OH MY SWEET JESUS!! YOU’RE A COP! YOU CAN’T DO THAT! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NO!!!!”
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…and with that last post, I think I’ve said more than enough.
Bye-Bye People!
It’s been a hoot!
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Dan S please stay gone your a tool. and we dont like you
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I think that with everything out there warning people about this type of scam, EVERYONE who has a TV, radio or a friend would know better then to send money to someone claiming to be a lottery agent!!!!
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Dan, I agree with what you’re saying about old people being from a different time of honesty and your word being your word, but they’ve lived in the same world we do and seen it go downhill. They’re aware life’s not how it used to be because they are sad for us that it isn’t. My grandparents speak of how it used to be like this but they know it isn’t anymore. You’d have to be living with your head in the clouds to not see it.
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