Posted on 08/22/2017 8:26:17 AM PDT by Allen In Texas Hill Country
OK, we all know of PCH. Been around forever. I just got a call which said I won. Kinda of a long call. To the point. They/he said I needed to wire $45 to an individual in Star City, Arkansas to pay for taxes. Now was expecting a lot lot more to pay for taxes, but it was only $45. For just $45 I'm half inclined to wire the money.
Anybody hear about this scam? One the one hand she wore@$%^#$^#$^ wait a minute,,,,,
It just seems a complete waste of time to make a phone call for just $45.
**And then they’ll call you back saying there’s some small snag, just wire a hundred dollars more and it will all get straightened out.**
Yep. My mom used be fooled into things like that, after a small stroke damaged her ability to think clearly. Fortunately I got a $150 money order stopped and returned to her. I went to the Post office, showed the receipt for next day mail, my power of attorney for mom, and it was returned.
The creep told mom that she had won a new car, but had to pay some fees, before delivering. Mom said, “He sounded so nice and honest. And asked about local motels for the driver to stay at if necessary before taking a flight back home”. I had the local police chief confirm to her that such calls are from crooks.
Mom’s ‘habit’ started out small. First it was just a stamp to PCH. Then it was an occasional lottery ticket (always proud of being a law abiding citizen, mom never gambled until Illinois made it legal). Then more sweepstakes scams, and thousands of lottery tickets later, I finally found out from a check out clerk that knew my family, that my mom was an addicted gambler.
She had hid her secret well. It was only when she started buying the tickets closer to home that her secret was exposed. She refused help, constantly denying she had a problem. She’s in a nursing home now and probably doesn’t remember any of her gambling past.
But Illinois politicians said the lotteries, and then the casinos, would help fund the schools. This I’m sure of: they succeeded in turning people into gamblers, that otherwise may have never gotten the addiction.
It’s actually a funny post. Open for lots of funny replies.
What town are you close to? I remember when Buds and Kyle were places few people wanted to live. Now the prices are sky high and they’re just on the edge of the Hill Country.
And back then Wimberly was a little town of weirdos.
Yes you may be right in that lotteries will withhold your tax liability for you and send it to the IRS on your behalf, like an employer for his employee. If you so choose to let them do so.
However, I maintain my central point which is no reputable lottery will contact you to demand you pay your tax liability first before they will give you your winnings. They will at most do what is above: give you your winnings at the same time they withhold a portion of it to pay the IRS (and/or state and or local taxes), again if you elect to do so at the time you win your prize.
In other words one will never be asked to pay something before receiving winnings. No reputable organization involved in games of chance will do that.
If you have a winning lottery ticket you have to go to them to claim the prize. If you don’t the lottery may publicize the fact near the expiration date that no one has come forward with a winning ticket for their jackpot. They do not seek you out except in one very rare instance.
Because if these people don't get this from you ... then somebody else will ...
Tell them (name of your worst enemy with telephone number) pays all your taxes. :-)
I would bet it’s not PCH.
A couple of years ago, I was selling an $1800 item on CL. I would ignore texts that were ‘suspect’. I finally decided to make him (might have been a woman) pay a little something for being a crook. I answered one text, asked him to call me. He said he couldn’t because he was at work. I text back, “please call when you can talk.” He said he would but wanted my address so that they could “get the check out to me immediately” with next day delivery.
I told my wife to not bank the check, cuz it’s a scam. The check arrived, I had my wife call the bank on the check and verify it. It’s not, so she tears it up and throws it in the trash. The following day I get a text asking me if I received the check. I said no (wasn’t really lying because I never did see it, lol). Asked him to call me again, but got another excuse as to why he couldn’t. The crook said he would contact me again the next day. When he did, I told him I was fairly certain that my wife mistook it for junk mail and threw it away.
He said no problem, he would send another immediately. Well, it arrived, and I let it sit for a day. He texted me asking if it had arrived. I told him that I was on the road on would be home the next day (still not lying. I’m an OTR trucker). Next day is Saturday. I get a text asking if the check arrived. I wait until after noon, tell him I have the check, but the bank is closed, and I will have to wait until Monday to bank it. He says ok.
He texts Monday asking why I haven’t banked the check. I told him the truth:
“I called Chase bank” (the bank on the check), “and they told me it was a fraud. Adios crook!”
Understand your main point about the frauds.
BTW, it’s not a matter of one choosing to allow, say a State Lottery to with hold taxes, Federal and state. One has no say in the matter. And if perchance, one outstanding monies owed to the state, be they fines, back taxes due, in some places back child support, those ammounts will deducted from winnings.
While waiting for Lottery Office to cut my check, I heard the law explained to a stunned young scoff law. We both learned something that day.
I’ll pay your $45 tax bill if you send me $35 cash. My address is:
1313 Mockingewe Lane
Scammersville, OH 34567
Likely the wiring of $45 will give the recipient access to your bank account in which case it doesn’t matter if it is 45 cents or 4500 dollars..
The ACTUAL Publishers Clearing House is enough of a scam without scammers now piling-on and using it to scam you.
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