Sweepstakes Home
Sweepstakes can be fun - but shouldn't
cost you money
Sweepstakes offers sweep savings
out the door
Sweepstakes 'scams' unveiled through
series
Daughters vent their frustrations
at sweepstakes
Another area person also believed
he was a winner
USPE responds to local customers'
complaints
Attorney General wants to better
the odds in sweepstakes
Sweepstakes victim goes public
Sweepstakes industry hits unlucky
streak
Psychology lures people into buying
Sweepstakes victim getting her
money back
Sweepstakes legislation may carry
local victim's name
Buying club complaints piling up
Here's the key: Think, call BBB
before you sign
NEWS-SUN, EVENING STAR
& HERALD-
REPUBLICAN
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Sweepstakes
'scams' unveiled through series
Originally printed in The Evening
Star 1/2/99
By CINDY BEVINGTON
ANGOLA - You, CINDY BEVINGTON, are a GUARANTEED winner!
For anyone who has ever received a mailing from Publisher's
Clearing House, American Family Publishers, United States Purchasing
Exchange, Readers Digest or any one of dozens of other sweepstakes
offerings, these personalized, capitalized, sensationalized greetings
are exciting news.
But is the "guarantee" really what it seems?
Indiana's Attorney General Jeff Modisett doesn't think so,
and neither do the nation's 49 other state attorneys general.
In fact, deceptive sweepstakes prize claims have become such
a problem, causing thousands of people to spend money they don't
have - sometimes draining their bank accounts in hopes of winning
the dream - that the attorneys general this year formed a special
committee to address the issue.
Last week Modisett, the committee's chairman, announced that
the attorneys general will hold a national hearing Feb. 24 in
Indianapolis to expose the abuses of the sweepstakes industry
and explore ways to reform the deceptive practices the industry
uses to sell the products.
By telephone Thursday morning, Modisett told The Evening Star
that this reformation could come in the form of both legislation
and litigation. "In Indiana, we have already decided to
sue American Family Publishers," Modisett said.
"And now we're looking closely at Publisher's Clearing
House, United States Purchasing Exchange also is on our list
to look at, and Reader's Digest and about five others.
"What we want to do right now is hear from anybody who
has lost money trying to win something from a sweepstakes - everybody."
Modisett said he'd already heard of one person who had spent
$100,000 trying to win the "guaranteed" prize of one
sweepstakes company's offerings. He knows there are others out
there, he said.
Locally, The Evening Star heard of two people who have lost
money on contest sweepstakes and interviewed them and their families
or personal representative. Our four-part series shows readers
the tragedy of unfulfilled dreams and broken promises of the
sweepstakes industry.
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STAR REPORTER'S
SWEEPSTAKES SERIES WINS NATIONAL AWARD
EXCLUSIVE TO THIS WEB SITE:
A letter to The Evening Star editor
from Indiana's Attorney General
Want to read another paper's stories
about sweepstake scams?
Why do the elderly seem more susceptible
to believing sweepstakes promises? Two experts give their opinions
Why do the elderly seem more susceptible
to believing sweepstakes promises? A gerontologist shares his
studies.
Iowa has seen it before
National issue, local example,
big news
Persons to contact if you believe you may be the victim
of a sweepstakes scam:
National Association of Attorneys
General
750 First Street, NE, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20002
PH: (202) 326-6000
FAX: (202) 408-7014
Office of Attorney
General
Steve Carter
402 W. Washington St.
Fifth Floor
Indianapolis, IN 46204
PH: (317) 232-6201
FAX: (317) 232-7979
National Fraud Information Center 1-800-876-7060
National
Consumer's League
1-202-835-3323
Federal Trade Commission 1-877-382-4357
(toll free)
E-mail
Cindy Bevington
or Evening Star
editor Dave Kurtz.
WATCH FOR ADDITIONAL STORIES EXCLUSIVE TO THIS WEB SITE!
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