Metter family falls victim to sweepstakes scam

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By Don Logana - bio | email

METTER, GA (WTOC) - Scam artists don't have an off-season, but during the holiday season it seems they come out of the woodwork.

Sometimes, they use any means necessary to get their hands on your cash, including using WTOC's name to trick unsuspecting victims.

In one case, they not only used WTOC, but every other trick in the scam play book.

A Metter woman thought she had won millions of dollars in a Las Vegas sweepstakes which she never entered. That's red flag number one.

She found out too late she was being lied to just so she would send money to thieves in Jamaica.

The phone rang last week at Patricia Cobb's home. She says the man on the other end had huge news.

"He said I had won $1.5 million," Cobb told WTOC. "I thought that was great."

Until the man who called himself "John Washington," told Cobb she needed to send $250 to receive her prize.

Red flag number two.

"I should have known better right then but I didn't," Cobb said. "I said, 'I don't got that kind of money.' He said he can talk to the government to see if we can send less, so I said 'OK.' Maybe this is true. He said yes. It's the truth. You have nothing to worry about."

Two more red flags as the government isn't going to authorize such a decision so quickly, if at all.

The man called back a few minutes later asking her to borrow money to send, eventually settling on $70.

"I said, 'No, I am not borrowing it,'" Cobb said. "I finally give in. I wish I hadn't because it is a scam."

"John Washington" told Cobb she had to Western Union the money not to Las Vegas, where he claimed he was, but Jamaica.

"It should have been a red flag, but I still didn't think because he said it was the truth," Cobb said. "I trusted him because I think every one has good in them."

The suspected scammer really hooked Cobb in when he asked her what her favorite TV station is.

"He said he would call the channel 11 news crew and you were going to come at 2pm the next day," she said.

A simple call from Cobb to WTOC would have settled any doubts she had about the possible scam.

No one contacted WTOC from any sweepstakes to cover a big payout.

"If someone says that, you believe them. You think it is real," she said.

The calls and requests for money continued all last week. "I said I'm not sending money no more. I ain't sending near another dime," Cobb said. "I said man, you ain't nothing but a scam artist."

Cobb was forced to change her home phone number and face reality.

"I found out the hard way. People aren't as good as you think," she said.

However, Cobb's daughter did not take the scam lying down. She is stationed at Fort Bragg and contacted Jamaican Homeland Security. They are now investigating.

Plus, the telephone company the Cobbs use is also involved. They called the suspected scammer and are tracking him down.

Here are some scam tips to remember:

If you didn't enter, you can't win.
If you are told you need to send money to receive your prize, that is illegal.
If they have you send money out of the country or the letter is from out of the country, it is a major red flag.

You can report all scams to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.