The Better Business Bureau is constantly telling people if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Yet, sometimes those mailings, that make you think you've come into millions of dollars, can look so authentic.
Like most people, Nancy Edwards would love to believe she's won more than $2. 3 million. The mail out she received implies she's won a lot of money. "It was saying I had won over two million dollars. Woo hoo! Right."
On the envelope, it says it's a legal notice. It even looks like it could be a government check. But the FAA in this paperwork stands for Financial Acquisition Agency and they want $20 dollars for processing. That was a red flag. "When I saw that, add your twenty dollars, send your twenty dollars in, that was the red flag. That made me say, 'Wait a minute.' Til that point, everything looked 100% legit," said Edwards.
And it's not a check. If you read the fine print, it suggests you are actually buying information about sweepstakes, lotteries and games of chance.
Edwards says she is speaking out because she worries others might lose $20. "I'm afraid that someone who is older or maybe a little disabled or something would think it's legit and send them hard earned or retirement money or whatever. I can't have that happen if I can stop it. I mean I can't do that. It just looked legit. The FAA would fool people if they're not paying attention. The pre-paid return envelope makes it look legit, plus it says business reply mail on the return envelope."
The company at issue has an F from the BBB when it comes to responding to and resolving complaints. To find out why click here. BBB officials urge consumer to investigate before sending money to such companies and read the fine print to know what you are actually buying.
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