Is this a Scam: Global International Sweepstakes


We received this note:
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We have been contacted by Global International Sweepstakes, who do not want money.  They ask for a $5,000.00 money order made out to a relative.  They will then meet us at our bank, deposit our "sweepstakes winnings" and we still keep the $5,000.00.  What's wrong?
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Careful, this is a scam.

How would you be able to "keep" the $5,000 after it has been paid out to a relative, and why must that be done? Can't they deduct any "fees" from the sweepstake money if it is real.

In a real sweepstake (everywhere), the authorities deducts any tax and fees from the winnings.

The WINNER in a REAL lottery PAYS NOTHING, not even a single cent, except probably for the cab fare to collect the check.

How this scam works is that they will ask you to pay the $5,000 first, while faking to arrange to meet up with you at the bank.

They might even meet you at the bank, and give you the check to bank in.

But don't be happy. The $5,000 that you have paid earlier is gone for good.

The check that you deposited will be a fake check.

And you will be scammed.




Comments (127)

trena
Said this on 4-27-2012 At 03:15 pm

wow i just literally got of the phone with these bone heads.....and now they keep calling! who can i report this too?

Trena

LM
Said this on 4-7-2012 At 08:37 pm

They're at it again, 7 April 2012. James Carter from Global International Sweepstakes International with my name, address and phone number. "You won 2.5 million! We've been trying to reach you , we called all day yesterday and your phone rang and rang." I was here? Well "something must be wrong with your phone. You have to answer four questions-- your name (with a middle initial- he tried to get the name and I wouldn't give it), address (I made him read it to me) was I married, single, divorced, widowed, and I wouldn't tell him (but he read my husband's name off and said he's on the beneficiary list too). So he said he has to know and I can either come to Severn to pick up the check or they can come deliver it. I insisted on knowing what else was necessary (figuring it was a scam) and he said I need to go to Walmart to pay $99. I told him I didn't have that kind of money (true!) and hung up. And I find everyone else has been having similar experiences for the past 10 years! (No caller id so I can't report the number.)

Rider
Said this on 4-4-2012 At 03:40 pm

I got a call for a WOMAN named Rebecca Atkins... From Mr. Atkins saying I won 1.5 Million dollars, 10,000 cash, and a 2010 Mercedes Benz. They told me to call (205) 506-9521. Not trying to be racist or anything, but how many Jamaican accents do you hear in the heart of Alabama offering this to you over the phone... These pests have been calling me nonstop for 2 months already, and every time I answer i yell at them to tell them its obviously a guy not REBECCA ATKINS on the phone and harrass them as to where they got my number and to take me off the list. Everyone report them to http://www.ftc.gov/

LaBrandon Hooker
Said this on 3-29-2012 At 02:03 pm

My name is LaBrandon Hooker. I was scammed by a guy named Donald Stodemier. His number is 1(876)446-0891.He said that I won 4.2 million dollars a  labtop. He said that i he  to give hime money and had to take out loans to give to him. Every time i took out a loan I had to pay it back. I took out over ten loans to give to him. I sent the money to western union. He give me names and addreess to send the money to. I did not know these people. Everytime that i sent money to the western union I had to pay extra to whereever it was going to. He made me lose money all the time. I was behind on payments on my bills becauase of him. HE tried to be my friend; he would call me his bud. What is a bud anyway? One time he had sat me up with this girl named Tasha. She was also from Jamaica. I did not see this girl at all. All we did was talked over my phone. She would be the one that call me. because I can not call her.Then one time he said he would help me pay for a credit cards bills, but that did not happen. It was a fake.  I am now behind on paying the credit card biils because of him. Another time he said that he would give me $7,300. I do not believe that! He owes me money, but would not give it to me.(Last week this guy calls me from out the blue. His name is John Mark. He said that a package of a half dollars and a labtop. He said that I had to give him $450. He gave me a name and address to send the money to. I do not even know this person at all. He said that he needed an e-mail address to send the money to. I told him that I do not have one. He called me again talking about I should take out a loan to give to him because I do not have $450 and that the F.B.I. was listening or montoring the call. HE also said that was from the U.S. postal service. He told me that he had the money sitting in front of him. He said that all I have to to is express mail the $450 to that person.)

trena
Said this on 4-27-2012 At 03:37 pm

sounds like we talked to the same guy....saying that i won a bunch of money and a mercedes...a white one .....i played along and got more info...he said he was a "preacher man" and my name was randomly selected....and i had to go the western union ...again this just screams scam to me ...playing along i told him i would go and call him back in 20 minutes....he called back in 10 and called again 10 mins again..he left a message this time saying the guys who were delivering the car wanted to know where to drop it off.....i never called back and i hope they got the point!

im sorry this happened to you!

Ralph
Said this on 2-11-2012 At 05:39 pm

What can we do to take out a lawsuit on these idiots and see that they get put in prison? They are a nuisanceand we need to get rid of these pests.

Nikki
Said this on 3-2-2012 At 09:08 am

This is crazy this is the 4th time someone has contacted me saying I won money. The time I was scammed it was on my 40th birthday and was out 19 hundered dollars they are crazy to think they could get me again. I hate what they did and someone needs to stop them, and I hope they go straigth to hell for what they are doing to good people

Rich
Said this on 2-26-2012 At 03:53 pm

I was contacted by a Rep named David Brown from LA.  Was told I was one of 3 winners in Fl.  The amount was $476.00.   2 days later I received a call from this rep stating I was a double winner and won a 2012 Mercedes shipping to Ft Lauderadale. Thats when the flares went off and I contacted this rep and pulled the plug on this scam.  Needless to say they shook me down for $4,200.00. I have reported this to the FBI and local PBSO fraud unit.  I've done some research and found there are scam nests in Baton Rouge, La....Orlando Fl,....St James, Jamacia and Bridgeport, Conn. I dont even think they are citizens of the US and are preparing to flee.

I did manage to get contact names and even address and vehicle ID and tag number.   I am working with authorities to shut this scam down.  They go by the name of Global Int'l

 

Said this on 12-16-2011 At 09:48 am

I just received a call on my cell (876-357-4400) and this time it was a women.  She asked if I was Denise Banks and repeated my address, city and zip.   She said that I'd won 2.5 million dollars!  But of course I knew it was a scam.  So, I let her continue talking.  She ask me if I wanted to be private or go public.  I told her to go public.  She said that I need to be home at 12:30 p. today and that the official from  the Global Sweepstakes would be at my door to present me with this check that already had my name on it!  So, I said ok.  But first I had to pay the administration fee of $285.85.  I said oh yeah, she replied, yes.  So, she said go to western union and get the check and then call them back with the receipt number.

While she was talking I went to the internet and looked up the company.  And of course it was reported as a scam!  But I told her if I won money from a sweepstakes the only thing I'd had to pay is the taxes!  She was insisting that this is for administration costs.  So, I told her that I knew it was a scam and hung up! 

This is not the first time I've received such calls as this.  The difference is that is was a women instead of a heavy accented man.  And I'm sure it won't be the last call I'll receive saying that I've won a large sum of money!  Be careful guys, if you are greedy, you will be taken!

debi
Said this on 1-23-2012 At 11:26 am

Hello Denise,

almost the exact same thing happened to me this am.. Like you, I played along to get all the info, so I could report them.. Then I told him no thanks, I hung up and he has called me back about 6 times.. LOL.. He wanted me to deposit 300 into an offshore bank account then someone would meet me at my house with my millions..  He called me from  an 876 number.. Anyway.. Thank god we are not foolish enough to fall for it... 

Debi

Jay
Said this on 11-20-2011 At 01:35 pm

I just got a call on my phone that came in on my ID as restricted.  I made it go to voicemail.  In the message a man with a strong accent claiming to be Michael Washington.  Said he is a part of the Global Sweepstakes and I have won.  He told me to call him back at 202-506-9448.  I looked it up and it came back as a landline for YMAX communications out of Washington DC.  These of course aren't the first times.  I pissed one of them off when i said I wasn't interested, saying you don't want money.  Well of course I do, but with you I will lose money.  Had a call that acctually came in on my caller ID, forgot the number.  He asked me if I recieved a certified letter, of course if I did he would know, when I said no asked for an e-mail to send the info.  I did give it to him, but never got the e-mail.  He claimed to be out of a Las Vegas company.  When I reversed the phone number it came back as not found, but was the area code and prefix were reserved for Haiti.  These are all wonderful Scams I now never answer the phone if I don't recognize the number, they are tempting, but please don't give them any information or money.  But they will exist and always try. 

Tamara Hickman
Said this on 11-11-2011 At 05:20 pm

Checking the answering machines, and a Mr John Logan left us a message stateing that we had won from Global International Sweepstakes Company, 2.5Million dollars and a Mercedes with it. I called the number left on machines(876-277-3420)/the number that showed up on the phone(876-584-9085) at 11 ;36am on 11/11/11)))plus later time(876-895-4134)  at 12:20pm plus(876-588-2013) at 1:17pm .  We are going through enough hard times, not to be harassed by phone scams.  I told John I was unemployed and could not send him $250 to have my winnings delivered to my front door by 3pm.  i told him i wouldn't have the money until next month. i have alot of time on my hands and would love to set them up to send them to jail for trying to scam someone out of their hard earned money. John even asked me to go to a neighbor to try to get the money so that my prize would be delivered.  I said to myself this man must think i am a fool, and i told John i would call him back next month...NOT!!!!!!!!!LMAO!!!!!!!Now that i have done my research but everyone does not have the resourses to do their own background check. There needs to be away to get these scam artist(asses). Reality check...it is not funny...how many people have been scammed????????

Debbie
Said this on 3-7-2012 At 07:28 pm

Hi Tamara, I had the same thing happen to me today. I was told that I was a winner and that a brand new Mercedes Bend and

$800,000 was going to be delivered to my door tomorrow, but I had to pay a fee of $250 and that until I paid they couldn't release and deliver it to me. This man had an accent from the Carribean area. He said that there would be TV cameras and when I told him I didn't have the money he said he could hold it for a week or a month, but the fee would be $300.00 in that case. He said I will have to cancel the cameras and the flight". I kept asking who this was through and after a bit of stuttering out of shock that I was not as stupid than he believed, he finally said it was through Global International and he gave a name "Frank William(s)? After I told him next month, he started to ask me personal questions like: how old are you? After we hung up within 5 minutes the phone rang again, and again it came up as "Withheld" So I just didn't answer this time! Beware of these scams!!

Betty Halberstadt
Said this on 3-7-2012 At 11:17 am

Just got the same call, $2.5 and a Mercededs for which they wanted $268 for delivery to my house.  Call was from a man w/heavy accent, who said his name was Frank, from Global International Sweepstakes.  I asked for their ph. #, he gave me 876-365-5332, of course no such number exists.  His manager called back and said they are located in OK.  I lectured the guy on illegal activites, and told him to get a real job, instead of trying to work the oldest telephone scam in the U.S.  He finally hung up on me.  Told he would never find anybody stupid enough to fall for it.  I love wasting their time, when I have time to do so.  Both calls left no number on my caller ID, just "private number".  I'm going to report it to the National Do Not Call Registry anyway.

Anne DiGeorge
Said this on 12-2-2011 At 09:16 am

I received some phone calls today from 876-565-8274 from Kingston, Jamaica.  The first caller identified himself as calling from Publisher's Clearinghouse and that I have won $3.5Million, $5,000 a week for life, and a cash payment up front of $100,000. Oh, and congratulations! LOL  The telephone connection was very poor. I said I don't do business like this on the phone. He said they were going to be in my neighborhood this afternoon and wanted to make sure I would be home.  He repeated my street address to me with zip code. (Not hard to do, since I'm in the telephone directory). I said this is a scam, said goodbye, hung up, and he called back 4 more times. The 4th time, he said his manager wanted to speak to me and his connection was no better. I asked where he was calling from and he said Dallas, Texas. So I asked why does my caller ID say Kingston, Jamaica? He said he was calling from a branch office in Texas, that Jamaica was their home base. I know Publisher's Clearinghouse is not in Jamaica. I told him I was not interested.  He said "Don't you want this package" (he always called it a package). All you have to do is go to Western Union with a check for $150 and you can claim the money. It is waiting there for you. I asked "Then,why do you have to know if I will be home this afernoon."  I said Publisher's Clearinghouse knows where I live and they can come knock on my door- even this afternoon. He said they only do that for winners over $10million.   5 phone calls in all, each more pressuring than the last. All intent on getting a check to Western Union for $150.  His last statement was "You don't want this money to help out your family? Your friends?"  I told him to give it away to someone else.   I lied and said I won PBC before for $10,000 and they came to the door. He said he wasn't from PBC, but from Winners International, which is a PBC like contest. I said I don't enter contests...So buzz off you scam artist and do not ever call here again.   In 15 minutes, 5 phone calls, and they probably thought they had hooked a real "winner."  They didn't.

Mine
Said this on 11-14-2011 At 03:05 pm

So sorry you are unemployed, but since you mentioned that because of it you have a lot of time on your hands, I am hoping that you will do as much as possible to put these people of of their misery and behid bars where they belong.

I have an 86 year old neighbor who slowly (too slowly) started confiding in me that this has been haooening, and of the latest conversation they have actually managed for her to liquidate her stocks, send money, wire money, deposit money - to the tune of $30,000. She is now being evicted, on the street with non relatives to help her. I am letting her stay with me for the time being, but that can not be indefinitely, especially since she still receives calls (now on her cell - before on her landline). Last week I picked up her phone twice to tell the guy with a heavy Jamaican accent to loose her number. He used very specific language to tell me off, hung up and called right back - only to repeat the same scenario.

I can't protect her. I got police involved; social services; senior assitance, but nobody is REALLY doing anything.  Just found out that she now has a phone bill of $7,000 as well, since she kept calling THEM back.. It's a disaster.

If I wouldn't have to work to keep afloat, I would spend all my time finding a way of getting these people where they belong!!

sandee
Said this on 1-30-2012 At 11:11 am

The same thing happened to a woman I know, 80 yrs old, who has been scammed out of probably about the same amount or even more. She confided in me that she didn't realize that this was a scam until after being in it for almost a year as that promised million $$$ check never arrived. She kept sending money, via Western Union, to this scam place, usually talking to someone in Jamaica. She's an intelligent woman, but very lonely and isolated as she has no relationship with her son, for some odd reason. In fact, this scammer said that he was a "Christian man" which attracted her as she's very religious.

I told her to contact the police, the Dept on Aging, senior services, but I think she feels too foolish, helpless and hopeless to do so. Her money is gone as there's no paper trail with Western Union. I don't know what will happen to her, but I fear the same thing will come of her as your neighbor. It's very kind of you to take her in, but she may have to enter a nursing home as you can't support her.

I just don't understand why the government doesn't take very strong measures to investigate and shut down these scams. There's so many complaints and sad stories that it should become a priority. It makes me wonder why all the rich people place their money in the Cayman Islands and foreign banks.

carolyn
Said this on 12-4-2011 At 12:19 pm

i was called on friday being told i won 256,000 if i send them 950.00 with a walmart money gram and i was to get a 2011 dodge ? today i was told i won a crazy amout of money same people and a benz if i sent them a 750.00 western union money gram at these same 876 numbers i called the police to make a report beware and dont fall for this please God bless !!!!!

maggie rose
Said this on 12-1-2011 At 10:53 am

I received a similar call from area code 876, which is in Kingston, Jamaica, saying that I had won the NY State lottery & asking me to send $2500 for insurance money for a check for $9.5 million. I called the NY State lottery, and they told me that it was a scam. So when this number called me again, I told them to stop calling me. They laughed, and starting calling me every 15 minutes. I found out that I could have this number blocked from ringing my phone. So this stopped.

Since you're helping this woman, you should have this number blocked, take away her cell phone, and get her one that will only allow local calls or something like that. Before you have her leave your house, call social services to find out what kind of support might be available for her.

mary bottom
Said this on 9-9-2011 At 02:46 pm

some one called me from las vegas carson city nevada his name is james parker and he said i won 1.25 mill. does anyone have info on this the phone he called is 702-421-7195

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