You go to your mailbox today and find an official document from an
Awards Committee claiming that you've JUST WON $5,000! All you
have to do is run in the house and call them to claim your prize!
What joy!
You can't believe it! You were wondering how you would pay the
rent this month and now all your troubles are over. You call all
your friends and relatives to tell them you've just won a
sweepstakes. Everyone is happy for you and willing to help you
spend your money correctly (to their benefit, of course.)
Now comes the rain on your parade. You call the 900-number to claim
your prize. Who cares if the fine print says the call costs $.98 per
minute. You've just won $5,000. What's $.98 to you?
After being kept on hold for quite awhile you find out you've won
$5,000 worth of COUPONS! What? You thought it was money you won?
Whoops - sorry, you just paid $.98 per minute (or about $9.80) for a
bunch of worthless coupons you could have probably cut out of your
Sunday paper. It's a rip-off pure and simple!
The TV show 60 Minutes had a special segment about these companies.
The rip-off sweepstakes company gets MILLIONS of dollars per day with
their 900 phone lines just from people like you. They put you on hold
so they can make MORE money from you. It has been reported that some
operators will sit by the phone, timing you on their watch to see how
long you'll hang on. The longer you hold on and run up your phone bill
- the more "stupid" they claim you are.
Yes folks! These types of companies are run by heartless, cruel and
horrible individuals that sit back and laugh at the very people lining
their pockets with money! The government cannot shut them down because
they are giving you $5,000. It's your problem that you thought it was
"money" instead of "coupons." (this is an example of those "Legitimate
Scams" I have been warning you about.)
Always remember that if you REALLY win money in a sweepstakes it is
unlawful to charge you even $.01 to claim it! In addition, if you win
any contest whatsoever, a real prize committee will visit you
personally or call you themselves at their own expense.
Honest sweepstakes are set up to entice people to try the products the
company is selling who are running the sweepstakes. Publishers
Clearing House is probably one of the best well-known sweepstakes
around. We all get them in our mailbox every January and February.
They are popular because people order magazines just to enter the
sweepstakes.
The sweepstakes itself is very honest. However, a lady who used to
work for them told me that if a sweepstakes form is returned WITHOUT an
order, it is normally discarded. Only a small majority are entered
into the sweepstakes - or just enough to keep the federal agents off
their back. Of course, if you order though - you have nothing to worry
about. You have a whole one chance in 17 million to win a prize!
Remember folks that nobody is going to give you something free when
they call you on the phone or send you a letter telling you that you
have won a prize. But there are people that fall for these scams over
and over again without thinking. The problem lies in the fact that
these companies fill people with a bunch of hype and play on them
emotionally. Everybody wants to have enough money to pay their bills,
take a fabulous vacation, relax in their yacht, pay the children's way
through college, work the hours they want to work, tell the boss to
"take that job and shove it" and buy a new car and home for their
family. Can you think of anyone that would turn down a proposition
like this?
Human beings love the idea of getting something for nothing. For some
reason it makes them feel like they are special and respected for all
the hard work they have done all their life. People who have
continually strived for something in life only to have the door shut in
their face are potential customers for scams and rip-off artists.
These cruel people are only after the money you have worked so hard to
make - so protect yourself now! |
