A couple was told they won $850,000 but must first pay about $2,500 in taxes with gift cards. They spotted the scam in time, and the script works on many people.
Tom and Cheryl Bredestege got a call from a man who called himself Albert. He said they had won an $850,000 sweepstakes. The reason, he said, was their years of paying bills on time and keeping good credit. All they had to do was pay a little over $2,500 in taxes first, using Amazon gift cards. It was a scam, and the couple saw through it before losing a dollar.
The story was built to feel personal. It was not a random prize. It was a reward for something the couple were proud of. Josh Planos of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) says the idea of a golden ticket, a surprise windfall that proves you did everything right, has a deep pull on people. Cheryl Bredestege noted that a senior who has spent decades paying bills on time is well primed to hear that and feel, for a moment, that they deserve it.
The scam does not attack a person's judgment. It flatters it. The request for gift card codes comes only after that good feeling is in place.
Anyone with a phone. Planos says prize scams work regardless of age and regardless of sophistication. The pull cuts across income, education and age. People who pay their bills on time may be especially open to the flattery, but nobody is exempt.
The BBB is direct: you are not charged to claim a prize. Taxes, shipping and processing fees are not collected before a real payout arrives. The BBB also says real sweepstakes do not pay people who never entered. A prize tied to good credit or loyal purchasing is made up.
The Federal Trade Commission warns against any caller who insists on payment by gift card. The codes cannot be traced or reversed, which is exactly why scammers ask for them.
The alert box above lays out the steps. The short version: check whether you entered, refuse any fee, never pay with gift cards, and talk to someone you trust before acting.
Pressure is the tell. Urgency cuts off thinking time. Secrecy cuts off advice from family and friends. A familiar name like Amazon adds false credibility. What saved the Bredesteges was simple. They talked to each other, slowed down and let doubt beat excitement.
You can feel excited about a prize call and still test it. Did I enter? Am I being asked to pay first? Am I being told to keep quiet? If any answer is yes, Planos says, the call is fraudulent, however convincing the voice sounds. The material does not say how many people have received this particular call.
A real prize never costs you money first, so hang up and talk it over with someone before paying anything, especially with gift cards.
The Attala County Sheriff's Office in Mississippi says scam calls are reaching residents, and a call that sounds official may not be.
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