The Connecticut Better Business Bureau warns of a scam misusing its name to fleece tens of thousands of dollars from victims who are led to believe they have won a lottery.
So far, one victim lost $80,000 to scammers posing as BBB employees, the organization says.
Several individuals have reported to BBB that they were contacted via phone or e-mail by someone claiming to be with the BBB.
Told that they won a lottery prize, they are instructed to first wire money back to the scammers. Â In some cases, the fraudsters used the names of real BBB employees and directed victims to legitimate bios and profiles on the BBB Web site in order to lend legitimacy to their scams.
“We have seen a number of variations of lottery scams, however this one is designed to put the victim at ease by using the Better Business Bureau name,” said Connecticut BBB President Paulette Scarpetti.
Anyone with information about the scam is urged to contact the Connecticut Better Business Bureau at 203-269-2700.
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