A Georgia man has been sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay millions in restitution for targeting elderly Californians with a fake telemarketing lottery and sweepstakes scheme.
The United States Department of Justice announced that Akinwunmi Agbayewa, 45, of College Park, Georgia, was sentenced to prison and ordered to pay back more than $7.7 million for committing mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
Agbayewa and his accomplices used fake names and contacted victims by the mail and by phone to tell them that they had won a sweepstakes or lottery, the DOJ said. The victims were told they needed to pay taxes or fees before they could collect their winnings. Those victims then mailed checks or made direct deposits into accounts owned by the scammers, only to find out that no such sweepstakes or lottery ever existed.
Most of the victims were elderly Californians, officials said, but other people in the country were also targeted.
When the FBI and the IRS got word of the scam, an investigation began and Agbayewa was arrested and charged as part of the scheme.
In response to his conviction, the California Lottery is releasing tips so that other Californians don’t fall victim to similar scams.
“We want to make sure everyone knows that the California Lottery does not charge taxes or fees for players to claim their prize. We take these sorts of…
