Fraud Alert: Lottery Winners Can Be Losers!
22 Novembre 2006 - 3:40PM
PR Newswire (US)
-- Fraudsters Abuse DaimlerChrysler Financial Services' Name in
Counterfeit Check Scheme -- Consumers Targeted in Phony Lottery
Scam FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Nov. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Thought you won the lottery? Think again. Consumers across the
United States have received fraudulent letters from the so-called
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission in Canada claiming they've
won $170,000, according to phony documents obtained by
DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas. The letters contain
counterfeit checks allegedly issued by "DaimlerChrysler Services"
and "DaimlerChrysler Services Truck Finance" in the amount of
$2,260. The company on January 1, 2006, changed the names of those
units to DaimlerChrysler Financial Services and DaimlerChrysler
Truck Financial. "We care about the well-being and financial health
of consumers," said Andreas Hinrichs, Vice President Global
Projects and Chief Compliance Officer for DaimlerChrysler Financial
Services Americas. "Therefore, we felt strongly about alerting the
public to this ongoing criminal activity, especially when con
artists victimize consumers by pretending to be associated with
us." Hinrichs also serves as Chairman of the American Financial
Services Association's newly-formed Identity Theft and Fraud
Control Committee. As part of the con, recipients of the letters
are asked to deposit the check to cover a service charge of the
same amount in order to receive their winnings. However, before the
check clears, recipients are requested to call a representative of
the phony lottery and gaming commission who instructs the recipient
to send a personal check via electronic transfer for $2,260 to
"finalize the payment process." Not surprisingly, the original
phony check never clears and the promised payout of $170,000 never
arrives. In the meantime, the recipient's funds in the amount of
$2,260 have disappeared. DaimlerChrysler Financial Services
Americas posted fraud alerts on its corporate Web sites at
http://www.daimlerchryslerfinancialservices.com/na and
http://www.dctruckfinancial.com/ . The automotive finance company
encourages victims to file a consumer fraud complaint with the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) either by calling the FTC's Consumer
Response Center toll free at 877-FTC HELP (382-4357) or by
downloading and submitting a complaint form online at
http://www.ftc.gov/ . About DaimlerChrysler Financial Services
Americas LLC DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas LLC
provides brand-specific financing for automotive dealers'
inventories and their retail consumers, and conducts business as
Chrysler Financial and Mercedes-Benz Financial. As DaimlerChrysler
Truck Financial, it also finances commercial vehicles for affiliate
products such as Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star. The
company serves as the headquarters for operations in the United
States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Brazil and
Venezuela, and has approximately 5,600 employees who manage a
portfolio of more than $104 billion with nearly five million
contracts. DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas LLC is a
company of the DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Group,
headquartered in Berlin, Germany, which operates in 39 countries
with an employee base exceeding 11,000 and a global portfolio of
approximately $144 billion. DaimlerChrysler Financial Services is
one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide.
DATASOURCE: DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas CONTACT:
Stephan Koller, +1-248-427-3120, cell: +1-248-202-1707, , or Jack
Ferry, +1-248-427-3124, cell: +1-248-761-3233, , both of
DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas Web site:
http://www.daimlerchryslerfinancialservices.com/na
http://www.dctruckfinancial.com/
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