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In recent times, there have been individuals impersonating a recent multimillionaire lottery winner from Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, on the internet. They falsely claimed to promise free funds to people in need worldwide, but it turned out to be a scam.
Christine Lauzon from Burnaby won a $70 million jackpot from Lotto Max. At the time, she informed the British Columbia Lottery Corporation that she planned to share some of the winnings with her family and would decide on the next steps after consulting with a financial advisor.
A few weeks after Lauzon's win, a Facebook account named after her posted a photo of Lauzon accepting the prize, with a caption stating her intention to generously assist those in need. The post read, "I have voluntarily decided to help people economically, boost businesses, help with medical bills, etc. If you're facing difficulties or despair and want to share with me and seek help, please let me know." CTV contacted the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, which confirmed that Lauzon was not the owner of the Facebook page.
On the Facebook page, some people expressed gratitude for Lauzon's help, providing evidence of receiving up to $10,000 with no strings attached. One post mentioned, "Thank you. This money helped me pay off my mortgage. My business has been struggling since the pandemic, and I was very distressed. Lauzon just helped me without any conditions, may God bless her."
Many people believed these posts to be genuine. CTV received letters from two women who claimed they were almost scammed, including one from Fiji.
The unnamed woman from Fiji messaged Lauzon's Facebook page, stating that her house gets flooded every time it rains and hoped for a $1,000 assistance. A few hours after sending the message, she received a reply, with the scammer offering her $100,000 on the condition that she first deposits a sum of money into a Bitcoin wallet.
Screenshots of the conversation between the woman and the scammer revealed that she was coerced into opening a Bitcoin wallet and was told to figure out a way to deposit $300 before receiving any financial aid.
In reality, lottery winners' names and identities have been used in various countries for fraudulent activities, including cases promising $1 million in exchange for personal information of a targeted individual. |
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Post time 20-2-2024 12:36:25