Friday, February 25, 2022

I just "Won a lottery" and I'm not sure if it's a scam.

 I got a letter from a local car dealership saying I had a possibility of winning some prizes (some of which are pretty big) if the numbers I got matched with the numbers on the paper. There was a small electronic device attached to the flyer, which I thought was neat. I mean, junk mail's been getting pretty bold nowadays, right?


So I got the matching numbers, right? And I thought to myself, anyone who would actually shell out for something like that little electronic number thing attached to the flyer may actually be serious about this. So I decided to call the number. I called, entered the dealer ID and game ID, and got put on hold. When the lady answered, she took a while to "bring up my screen." I assume that, if this is legit, the car dealership hired an ad agency to handle this. That's my current theory. So they said that I was a winner after I gave them my name (and nothing else! Rule number one of possible scams, don't give out more than your name!) and my number. 

So the lady said I was a winner. She then set up an appointment at the actual dealership. I'll be gone on a trip for most of the timeframe, but I managed to squeeze in on the last day. So now there's three possibilities. Number one: they'll tell me that I can't claim my prize without buying something. Number two: it's a sophisticated scam of some kind. Number three: it's real. 

And the place is fifteen minutes away by foot. So there's no harm in actually going as long as I make sure not to buy anything I don't want to and not to sign anything that isn't a fat check. 

To make absolutely sure that this wasn't, like, a stupid prank, I called the car dealership in question on their website-posted phone number. I then asked the guy who answered if the deal was real. They said it was real. The flyer looks really tacky, but there's a picture of a lady who apparently "won" the last game. 

One other thing that makes me think this is legit: the flyer has, under each possible prize, "odds of winning is one in 80,000." Anyone not required by law to put that on the flyer wouldn't. That's my current theory at least. And then there's the little electronic number thing. No one would pay for that if it wasn't real, right? 

Does anyone who reads this have experience with Kunes County Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Elkhorn? Or with mail in surprise lotteries like this one? I've done some looking online and I can't seem to find anything on this specific prize drawing. If I'm wrong, the worst that can happen is I spend an hour walking to the place and back.

I need a reality check here. Am I getting my hopes up? Because they say that if it's too good to be true, it probably is. 

In any case, this will be a fun adventure and I'll be able to tell a great story of how I almost got scammed by junk mail. Or I'll walk away with a new car (or a pair of airpods.) 

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