– Scammers tricked an elderly woman with dementia in Florida into sending them $477,000 by pretending she won $3 million in a Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes
– Police arrested Michael Lawrence and Max Richards in connection to the scam, recovering only around $40,000 of the stolen money
– Lawrence and Richards face felony charges of first-degree theft and scheme to defraud; it is advised to be cautious of requests for money in connection with supposed sweepstakes winnings as they are likely scams
Scammers in Florida swindled a woman out of $400,000 by convincing her she had won $3 million, resulting in the arrest of suspects Michael Lawrence and Max Richards. During a press conference, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd shared that they were only able to recover $40,000 of the stolen money. Lawrence and Richards face felony charges of first-degree theft and scheme to defraud for their roles in the scam. The victim, an elderly woman showing signs of dementia, sent the scammers nearly half a million dollars in three separate checks after being told she needed to pay taxes on her winnings.
Despite the arrests, it remains unclear whether Lawrence and Richards have retained legal representation. The Federal Trade Commission advises that sweepstakes scams often involve requests for money or personal information, warning the public to be cautious of such demands. The sheriff’s office expressed the difficulty in recovering funds lost to scams, mentioning that the process involves obtaining subpoenas and working with banks, with money often being unrecoverable once it has been taken. Publisher’s Clearing House, the company used as a front for the scam, did not provide immediate comment on the incident. Lawrence appeared in court, but no further dates have been scheduled at this time.