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Did you get a message on your cell phone saying you won thousands of dollars and a new car? Be careful, this is a scam

2023-01-18T20:28:38.379Z


Scammers call and send texts on WhatsApp announcing to victims that they have won an "international raffle" and asking them to call phone numbers in Guatemala and other countries to collect the prize. The authorities warn that they seek to take your money.


Several readers in the United States have shared unexpected messages they received on WhatsApp, announcing that they won an "international raffle" for cash and late-model vehicles.

Some messages purportedly come from phone companies like Verizon and ask people to call a phone number to collect their prize.

"Congratulations, Verizon Sprint and social networks reward your preference with your double international draw of $45,000 *Forty-five thousand US dollars* and a Ford Model 2023 vehicle. For more information, contact our WhatsApp lines," says one of the messages in Spanish received by readers, which include gross misspellings.

The message includes a telephone number from Maryland and another from Guatemala that, presumably, is the "direct line" of a "manager" of the company who will coordinate the delivery of the prizes.

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These giveaways

are a scam attempt

to steal people's money.

It is a criminal practice that has been increasing in the last two years against Central American immigrants living in the United States, according to Noticias Telemundo.

The first to deny the existence of an "international raffle" was Verizon.

"These messages are not from Verizon. Customers should not click or interact with any link included in these messages," Adria Tomaszewski, head of consumer communications for the company in the United States, explained to Telemundo News.

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"Consumers should be aware and alert that scams exist. Verizon never asks for a customer's personal information when we call or send text messages. That means we don't ask for social security numbers, passwords or other personally identifiable information." said Tomaszewski.

Edwin Monroy,

spokesperson for the Guatemalan National Police, explained to Telemundo News that a good part of the messages

come from a network of scammers or blackmailers

in that country.

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"They get phone numbers of people who are in the United States and even right here in Guatemala City and they send them messages offering them a prize, be it an item or cash. But, to collect that prize, the person has to provide their information and apart from making a deposit," he explained.

Scammers use various tactics to try to convince their victims that the prizes are real and thus take their money.

Noticias Telemundo had access to an audio message sent by one of those false managers in which he provided his possible victim with a list of banks in the United States where he could receive his prize.

They also sent him two videos where people who identify themselves as Hondurans appear, who assure that they also won and that the raffles are real.

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Monroy explained that in 2022 the Guatemalan police carried out several operations in the capital and in the departments of Santa Rosa and Quetzaltenango, and arrested 13 people involved in the scams.

According to the inspector,

this type of crime increased during the coronavirus pandemic

.

"People who did not leave their homes began to work to see how they could get money with this type of offer that was not going to materialize. They offer recent model cars, quantities of 25, 50 or even 100,000 dollars or computer equipment and high-end phones," he said.

This type of fraud has already been reported by other media

outlets in Guatemala for at least two years.

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Scammers also pose as employees of transportation companies or airlines and tell their victims that a friend or family member coming from the United States needs help retrieving their bags and request payment, Monroy explained.

The fraudulent calls and messages not only come from Guatemala, numbers from El Salvador, Colombia and Costa Rica have also been registered, according to previous reports.

Jenny Kane/AP

According to Monroy, investigations suggest that scammers search social networks for people with relatives in the United States and

see their posts to obtain personal information that facilitates scams

.

The police spokesman asked people who receive these messages to report to the authorities.

The Guatemalan police have the number +502 3018 2253 to report.

Verizon also has a hotline where you can report suspicious or unwanted messages.

Users can forward text messages to number 7726.

If you suspect that you have received false information and want us to verify it, you can WhatsApp us with the details.

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2023-01-18

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