How scammers stole $80,000 from former Schaumburg businessman

Lee Williams says he made a small fortune during his 40 years as a commodities broker, but a divorce and lack of a financial safety net for retirement caused him to burn through his money quickly.

Roughly seven years ago, Williams, now 73, was desperate to get back on his feet and have a financial legacy to pass on to his three daughters and grandchildren.

That's when he got a phone call that promised to change his life for the better. Instead, it nearly destroyed him.

"This guy introduced himself as Shane Allen of Winners International Lottery Sweepstakes and said I won an $8 million jackpot," Williams, formerly of Schaumburg, said Thursday. "But first I needed to wire him $200 to secure the money."

"Looking back, I see I was scammed," Williams said. "But have you ever heard the phrase 'desperate people do desperate things?'"

Seven years and about $80,000 later, Williams says the scam has destroyed his life and caused him to lose his home. He's telling his story in conjunction with the Better Business Bureau as a cautionary tale to warn people about the many ways thieves try to steal money.

Today, Williams lives in a homeless shelter called Hope for Tomorrow in Aurora and is struggling to get back on his feet.

"I had a strong suspicion it was a scam, but once I was in so deep, I just thought, 'What's another $150 to find out if this guy's good, bad or indifferent?' Now I know he's bad," Williams said. "The tipping point was I just got tired of hearing 'You're going to get your money but we need just $250 more and the money's around the corner.'"

While fake sweepstakes and lottery scams have been around for years, people continue to fall for them, the Better Business Bureau says.

In many cases, you get a fake check in the mail. In others, you get a phone call stating that you won a large amount of money, and all you need to do is send in a small payment to redeem the grand prize. Legitimate sweepstakes do not make you pay a fee to receive a prize.

"When someone tells you that you've won millions in a lottery, it can seem like a solution to all your problems," said Steve J. Bernas, president & CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois. "Many lose thousands of dollars that can permanently damage their lives."

Police say the cases often are difficult to solve because the calls can't be traced.

"Unfortunately, law enforcement really labors just to keep up with what seems like a new scam every day. Many of these target elderly and other trusting people and your heart really goes out to them when they are victimized," Aurora police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said. "They are incredibly difficult to investigate and law enforcement's success in solving them on the whole is extremely low because the majority are carried out overseas and are almost impossible to trace."

Williams said once he made the mistake of answering the phone and talking to the scammer, he was "pounded into submission."

"Once they get their hooks into you, they don't let you go," Williams said. "I'm talking three or four calls a day and always the promise of the money being right around the corner."

He doesn't believe he'll ever get his $80,000 back, but Williams said he wants to help others not fall into the same trap.

"I was a successful businessman who made good money and these scammers have literally taken me down to nothing," he said. "I can hardly look my daughters and grandchildren in the face with the problem I've gotten myself into. But I'm telling my story to let people know this happens to hundreds, if not thousands, of people a day."

He's already talked to some seniors.

"My advice is if you get a call from anyone you don't know, don't talk to them. And certainly don't send them a nickel," Williams said. "If they ask you for money, to receive a large prize, well that just doesn't happen."

It might be a scam if ...

• You win a contest you never entered. You need to buy a ticket or complete an application to participate in a contest or lottery.

• You are offered "too-good-to-be-true" prizes. It is almost always a large sum of money, but there is always a catch.

• You have to give personal information. Anytime someone tries to get your bank account number, Social Security number or other sensitive information, it should be an automatic red flag.

• You have to pay to win. Don't be blinded by the promise of a large sum of money in the future. If someone asks you to give them money first, that's a red flag.

• You have to wire money or use prepaid debit cards. If you are asked to use these transfer methods in order to get a prize or any other large sum of money, that is a major red flag.

Source: Better Business Bureau