Phone and mail sweepstakes scam in CT

New London (WTNH) - After a mail-sweepstakes scam story aired on News Channel 8, Tuesday, a woman contacted us to warn about a similar scam that could be just a phone call away.

In one way, it's the same scam. The woman, who prefers to remain anonymous, says she received a bogus check and a letter asking her to send money to cover taxes. But, she is also receiving phone calls and that's what worries her most.

Now when the phone rings, stress and tension for this woman is bedridden. The calls started about the same time she received a letter telling her she won a sweepstakes she never entered.   

"He called as late as, one night, 8:00 p.m.," she said. "And that day was four calls in a row."

Sometimes the caller fishes for information, asks if she received a package, or just doesn't make any sense.

"One of the calls were, 'you need to listen because I am the FBI.' FBI wants to give me a check?" she said.

Like Tuesday's story, with Robert Reddy's scam-letter and bogus-check in the mail, hers asks for money to cover taxes and was sent from Canada. The check is from Techno Soft, a Newark, DE based-business.  News Channel 8 wanted to find out if the company knew it was being linked to this scam. The website looks legitimate, but the phone message is hardly corporate quality.

And, in addition, the voice-mailbox system was full for what is supposed to be a technology consulting firm. 

Because this woman does not have caller ID, she doesn't know for sure if the calls are related to this check and that's why we're not giving out any identifying information about her. News Channel 8 doesn't want anyone just showing up at her door.

Related or not, they're scams and they're looking for money and information.

"Everybody needs money today, so I'm sure they will get somebody that will fall for it," she said.

New London police tell News Channel 8 there are plenty of people who have fallen for it.
   
They know because those people called police after they realized they were scammed.