How Lucky Can One Guy Be? Not very...

Dear Attorney Baron

I received a letter stating I won $500,000 in the Irish sweepstakes lottery.  It says that I must respond no later than June 10th and must pay the import lottery tax to claim the prize. Do I have any legal rights even though the deadline is past?  I am willing to pay the $1500 tax immediately. 

How Lucky Can One Guy Be?

Dear Lucky,

You would be surprised how many would be "lottery winners" come to my office.  It is my hope that while writing this response you have not already quit your job and left your wife for the warm waters of the Caribbean.  A few local residents have approached me with similar letters and e-mails received from lotteries in Spain, South Africa, Australia, Canada and other countries.  I am sorry to say that I am pretty confident this letter is a fraud. Don’t be embarrassed.  Such letters and emails are sent by the thousands each day.  Criminals use them to try to get your money and steal your identification information.  In turn, they open credit cards, bank accounts, and can even commit crimes in your name.   

There are certain things you can look for to see if the letter is legitimate. First, let's ask the obvious.  Do you remember buying a ticket?  Have you ever even been to Ireland?    I notice this "lottery" is asking you for fees. Fraudulent lottos will tell you that you must pay money for bank fees, insurance, storage, shipping, and a long line of false reasons.  Some will ask for money in a second or third letter.  Others set up fake bank web sites where you can check to “see” that your money has been deposited.

I have had clients show me letters from Nigerian princes, FBI directors, dying multimillionaires, fleeing ex presidents and even the president of the United States.  Follow up emails may include supposed family photos or passport copies to show you that they are legitimate.  Look closely at your email.  Did you receive it from fbigov@yahoo.com or bankof ireland@gmail.com   Emails with yahoo or gmail are easy to obtain.  Banks use their own domain names.  The FBI is not sending out emails on yahoo.  I once had a client provide me with some alleged proof that his transaction was real.  He showed me a passport photo of an alleged prince.  It was a photo of actor James Earl Jones from the movie Coming to America superimposed on a fake passport.

Legitimate lotteries, never ask for money.  If you really win a lottery, the only money you owe is the tax you personally pay directly to your government.  This tax is never paid through anyone else or by anyone else.  Rule of thumb.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Now, ain't that a kid in the head?

Attorney Adrian Baron is a partner in the Connecticut Law Office of Podorowsky Thompson & Baron.  A nationally recognized award winning legal writer, he was recently named to the 2012 Super Lawyer New England Rising Star list.  Given to less than 3% of attorneys in the region, it is the second time he has received the honor.  Adrian's unique background includes service as an aide to Robert F. Kennedy Jr and as the former Ethics Chairman for the City of New Britain.  For more info on Adrian, you can visit him on the web at hardwarecitylaw.com