On June 2 AM, I received a phone call from someone claiming to be an attorney's office representing Consumers Clearinghouse sweepstakes, that I was a 2nd place winner of $500,000.00. A check would be delivered to me by courier at the end of the week at a time window specified by me. They took down some info. "for IRS purposes", & said the senior attorney would call me back. Two hrs. Later he did call. He ID himself as Frank Goodman of Goodman & Assoc.internat'l Tax attorney.
This call revealed the most detailed and intricate process to verify the legitimacy of my winnings and get me my money.insisted my husband be on the other line, as a witness, assured his expenses covered by company through Nationwide Courier Express, said ck. Is being held in customs (coming in from outside U.S.) pending U.S. Taxes being paid, said he negotiated taxes down from 42.3% to13.1%=65,500.00 which would be loaned to me through Internat'l Lending Bank with 60 days after ck. Clears bnk to pay back, gave me claim # and phone # to call "Lottery & Gaming Commission" in Wash. DC to verify my winnings are legitimate. When I called said they would check and call back on a "secured" phone line. The woman called back, gave me her dispatch # and her name. Referred me to an attorney "world-renowned" in these matters to help me get everything done smoothly... Goodman & Associates in Albany, NY. I really started to get suspicious when he actually swore me to secrecy about everything told me until after the check was in the bank. He said, I believe, the Chairman of Nat'l Sweepstakes, someone in the IRS, the Honorable Robert? And himself signed a secrecy agreement.
After calling the "Lottery & Gaming Commission", I checked with DC info. And got a Dept. Close to the same name & the lady asked me if this was about sweepstakes winnings and offered to refer me to security. I called Albany info... No such law firm or name Frank, but gave me # of 2 Goodman attorneys. One wife of retired attorney called me back and said she gets about 2 calls per week on this sweepstakes fraud... The local police are involved, and they've found they are located in the Phillipines. (accounting for everyone having the same accent.) I also called N.Y. State Bar= no such attorney. A Frank Ivan Goodman left the Bar in Feb. 2010.. That's it.
I originally wanted to talk to this man to tell him what I think of people who prey on people like us (and I told them this) with my mother having Alzheimers and running out of money for her care, my husband unable to work anymore, struggling financially, in debt. But I decided that I didn't want to talk to him anymore about anything. But would, instead, do something like this.
I have to admit, my hopes were raised that my mom would get the care she needed, we'd get out of debt, opportunities for generosity, and investment for the rest of our senior life. I'm 66 (eligible for Soc. Sec. This yr.) and husband 78. Sad to think they knew all that and still were going to scam me. I don't know how they were going to try and get money out of us, since they knew we didn't have any, but if I had followed through I'm sure I would have found out he had a really safe way for us to come up with something... Anyway, I went into the detail to show how thorough it sounded and could have fooled anyone. Beware. You know what they say, "If it sounds too good to be true..." Check everything out.
Frances, Rosemead, CA
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