Action Line: Don’t lose when someone says ‘you won’

A reader: A man left a message on my answering machine today. He said he was calling from American Cash Rewards and that I have won a large sum of money. He said that all I had to do was return his call at this number, 702-421-4699, and I could claim my winnings. I haven’t called yet. I’m afraid it may be a scam. What should I do?

Action Line: You have made the right first step. Whenever you receive a solicitation, especially one that is unsolicited, you should check them out. Luckily, you came to the right source. BBB records show that American Cash Reward is located at 185 Westover Road in Rural Hall, N.C., with the same phone number you have given me today.

Consumers have advised that this company is contacting U.S. citizens and stating they have won a large sum of money and possibly a luxury car. The consumer is asked to wire transfer money to the company in order to receive their winnings. The address given by the company is a false location. The street name does not exist in the city of Rural Hall. Additionally, the company’s phone number originates outside of the United States. Many scam companies have used Jamaican phone numbers to target American citizens. This company has an “F” rating with BBB.

If you are contacted by this company, do not give them any information. You have not won a large sum of money and you have not won a luxury car.

If you would like the full BBB Business Review, you can get it here: http://fblinks.com/cash

The Federal Trade Commission gives us some good common-sense tips for all foreign lotteries and sweepstakes:

▪ Throw away any offer asking you to pay for a prize or a gift. If it’s free or a gift, you shouldn’t have to pay for it. Free is free.

▪ Don’t enter any foreign lotteries, even for fun. It’s illegal to play a foreign lottery through the mail or the telephone, and most foreign lottery and sweepstakes solicitations are phony.

▪ Never agree to deposit a check from someone you don’t know. The check will bounce, and you’ll owe your bank the money you withdrew. By law, banks must make the funds from deposited checks available within a day or two, but it can take weeks to uncover a counterfeit check. It may seem that the check has cleared and that the money is in your account, but you’re responsible for the checks you deposit. If a check turns out to be a fake, you owe the bank the money you withdrew based on that check.

▪ Never wire money to someone you don’t know. Wiring money is like sending cash; you can’t trace it – and once it’s sent, you can’t get it back.

Don’t forget to report it to BBB! If it is happening to you, chances are it is happening to your neighbor as well. Help us inform our communities so that we can stamp out scams.

This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 7:21 AM with the headline "Action Line: Don’t lose when someone says ‘you won’."