Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Wairarapa Midweek
Masterton woman warns of ‘international lottery’ scam
3
BY GERALD FORD
June Tainsh was the target of a “Spanish Lottery” postal scam, which despite its promise of $1.8 million was too good to be true.
A Masterton woman was shocked this month to be the target of an international postal fraud stating she’d won nearly two million dollars. June Tainsh received a letter with a Spanish stamp that purported to be part of the Spanish Sweepstake Lottery International Promotion Programme. The envelope was post stamped from Malaysia. It had Mrs Tainsh’s correct name and address on the envelope. The letter was stamped with several official looking logos and purported to be from the International Lotto Commission. “We are pleased to inform you of this year’s release of the Spanish Sweepstake Lottery International Promotion Program, held on 17 March 2017,” it read. “Your name was entered as an alternative number attached to …” followed by a lengthy reference number and batch number. The lotteries six winning numbers and bonus number were listed, followed by the news that the recipient had won the lottery in the first category and had been “approved a lump sum of $1,815,000” – being one of 17 winners sharing the $30 million plus prize pool. Then came the hooks. The money was already deposited and insured, but the winner had to keep the news quiet “to avoid (fraud) by unscrupulous individuals”. To claim, the “winner” had to contact a Dr Martin Gomez (via telephone, fax or email) to process the winnings into a designated bank account, which meant he or she would have to give up a bank
I just thought, ‘It has to be a scam’ … and then I thought, ‘Ooh it would have been nice if it was true, though’. account number and risk being robbed or conned into forwarding money to receive the prize. Concerningly, the letter stated that 10 per cent of the win (or $181,500) belonged to a third party “because they are the promotion company that bought your ticket and played the lottery under your name”. Mrs Tainsh at first didn’t know what to think when she read the letter. “I thought, ‘I don’t even know you buggers,’ she said. “I just thought, ‘It has to be a scam’ … and then I thought, ‘Ooh it would have been nice if it was true, though.” Realising she was being scammed, Mrs Tainsh showed a copy of her letter to Police and brought in to Midweek. A volunteer at the Wairarapa Citizens Advice Bureau said there are several places online where people can check for known scams and report new ones. These websites, including the Department of Internal Affairs and Consumer Protection, can be found through cab.org.nz.
South Wairarapa’s newest Kiwis Seven more South Wairarapa residents can now officially call themselves Kiwis. A ceremony was held last week at South Wairarapa District Council, where people from England, Scotland, Ireland, Argentina, Netherlands and Brazil became New Zealand citizens. Family and friends came together to celebrate and witness the occasion, which was officiated by Mayor Viv Napier. Councillor Paora Ammunson opened the ceremony with a Whaikorero, or formal speech, and Mrs Napier spoke of the courage it had taken the new Kiwis to
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take the final step of gaining citizenship. Each new citizen was presented with a cheese board made from Swamp Totara, which had originated from the rivers of South Wairarapa.
Pictured in the back row (from left), Orla Harkin, Paora Ammunson, Bas Muller, Alex Chamberlain, Ricardo Rebuelta Junior, George Kirk, and Deputy Mayor Brian Jephson. Front Row (from left), Kristine Chamberlain, Mayor Viv Napier, Daniela Brittes, and Councillor Pam Colenso. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
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