An Arizona grandmother has been hit with hard times, so when she received a call stating she won a big prize, she thought her good karma was finally here.
The "company" that called her said she had been "entered" by donating to various charities, but Scripps News Phoenix found out the company isn't legitimate.
Eighty-nine-year-old Tillie thought it was the phone call that would change her life. “Oh, I was going to buy all the grandkids a house because they all need it,” said Tillie.
Tillie said the caller claiming to represent the "American Dream Sweepstakes" asked her if she knew she was a winner in a big contest. “He said it was over a million dollars that I had won,” Tillie stated.
The caller told Tillie that she was automatically entered into the contest because she donated to various charities.
“I have contributed to the Arbor Foundation, the veterans, the Disabled Veteran Warriors and all those emblems were there,” Tillie said.
Tillie said she was given a claim number. “The check was for $750,000 because they had taken the taxes out already.”
But there was one catch: Tillie was told she would have to pay $1,000 in court fees to the person, who was claiming to be an attorney.
She said the caller informed her that the money would help the lawyer get the check to her so she could deposit the money in her bank.
Tillie said, “This didn’t make any sense to me, but I thought I was talking to a lawyer.” Tillie asked several questions and for every question, the caller had an answer.
“I said, well, how come I’ve never heard of it? He said, ‘They don’t advertise it. They just do it like randomly.’”
Tillie even noted the caller was very professional and was never pressing or demanding.
The Valley grandmother wasn’t sure if the contest was legit, and she wanted to be certain. Tillie contacted Scripps News Phoenix to verify if it was.
The Better Business Bureau has the American Dream Sweepstakes listed as a non-legitimate business. The address listed for the business is listed as not valid. Scripps News Phoenix even did a phone number search, finding there was no law firm or attorney listed under the phone number of the person who called Tillie.
Scammers will spoof the 202-area code, which is D.C., to appear like they’re calling from government agencies.
Here are three signs of a prize scam:
- You must pay to get your prize. A real prize is free, so if someone tells you to pay a fee to receive your winnings, you’re likely dealing with a scammer. Be wary of fees for taxes, shipping and handling, or “processing fees” to receive your prize. If they ask you to wire money, send cash, or pay with gift cards or cryptocurrency to get your prize, do not do it.
- They tell you paying increases your winning odds. A real sweepstakes is free, and remember, winning is by chance. It’s not legal for someone to ask you to pay to increase your odds. It’s a red flag, and it’s likely a scammer.
- You're asked to give your personal information. There’s no reason for you to provide your banking information or credit card number to claim any prize or sweepstakes. If someone asks for this type of information, don’t give it to them. It’s not real.
Scammers will use names of organizations you might recognize to appear legit. If you’re unsure, look up the company’s contact information for yourself.
Do not rely on the person who reached out to you to provide you the real contact information.
Tillie’s family has been dealing with death and financial struggles, and was hopeful that money would help with their situation.
“I know things are going to get better, they have to,” Tillie said with tears in her eyes.
She was planning to do some good with her prize money. “My thing was to feed the homeless, try to feed the homeless if it wasn’t meant to be it wasn’t meant to be,” Tillie added.
But now, she’s grateful she didn’t fall for what the caller was saying because it could have been much worse.
“Don’t get fooled by them because they are very, very good.”
If you think you’ve been a victim of a sweepstakes scam, report it by clicking here.
This story was originally published by Christel Bell at Scripps News Phoenix.
