Ontario man out $18,000 after being tricked into thinking he won lottery he never entered
It was a phone call that came out of the blue. An Ontario man was told he had won $3.5 million in a lottery he never entered.
"They said congratulations and that I was one of the grand winners in the mega millions dot com," Ajax man Clayton Willett told CTV News Toronto.
Willett, a senior citizen, was told to collect his prize he would have to first buy a $200 gift card to get the process started.
After he did that he was told he would need to send more money to cover taxes, customs fees and other expenses.
"They said (the prize) was three-and-half million dollars. Two and a half million would be a certified cheque, a million dollars would be delivered by U.S. marshals and they were going to deliver a 2021 Chrysler 300," said Willett. "I was ecstatic."
It was a phone call that came out of the blue. An Ontario man was told he had won $3.5 million in a lottery he never entered. (The Canadian Press)
Willett said in total he handed over more than $18,000 before his family and friends convinced him it was a scam.
"They told me if I was to pay $3,000 they could have the car delivered here and the U.S. marshals would bring the money. Then when that was done, I had to come up with another $6,000. All-in-all I have invested $18,130," Willett said.
Willett says while he is embarrassed about falling for the scam, but wanted to share his story to prevent it from happening to anyone else.
Some lottery scam warning signs include being told you've won lottery you’ve never heard and you're asked to make upfront payments to collect tour prize. People may be told it’s for fees, taxes or duties and you’re asked to provide your banking information.
"I'm out $18,130 but I just hope no one is as foolish as I am," Willett said. "I hope by doing this interview I can help someone from being caught up in this type of thing."
If you're contacted by letter, email or a phone call saying you've won a lottery you should never respond.
If you do you could end up on a scammers list and be targeted by other types of fraud as well.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.