US citizens send more than $18m a year to Dutch man in lottery scam
More than 530,000 Americans are allegedly being lured every year into sending cash to a 54-year-old man in the Netherlands
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Your support makes all the difference.The US government has estimated that at least $18 million is sent in the post every year by vulnerable citizens to fraudulent companies in the Netherlands, believing they have won a large cash prize and want to claim their spoils.
Most of this fraud allegedly comes down to one man, 54-year-old Erik Dekker of Langbroek in Utrecht.
He and his two companies have been accused by the US Justice Department and by local authorities of carrying out mass mailing fraud since 2011, luring about 530,000 vulnerable and elderly people every year into putting their cash in a pre-marked envelope and sending it abroad.
One of the typical mailings reads: ““Today is the luckiest day of your life! […] I selected you in order to give you $36,000.00 EXCLUSIVELY to you!”
Hundreds of thousands of recipients received direct mail that falsely claimed they had won, or would soon win cash or valuable prizes “or otherwise come into great fortune” of at least $20,000.
Other mails purported to be from a woman called Olivia Kramer with "psychic powers” who promises to improve the victim’s financial and personal circumstances, and predicts that person will win the lottery. The mail urges the victim to purchase supernatural objects or services to secure the sum.
The victims filled out a form with their personal details and sent cheques, usually between $15 to $55, via US mail to one of 50 P.O. boxes for two companies in Utrecht, allegedly operated by Mr Dekker.
One victim who received a letter from “Michael M”, saying the recipient would receive $36 million if they sent a “processing fee” of $50, wrote in a hand-written letter on 8 May: “I hope you didn’t give up on sending me the checks [sic]. I lost $260.00 in the grociery [sic] story and I had to call my son to pay for my food. I was so upset I couldn’t seep till 4.00 in the morning so I don’t have the $50.00 to send. Please forgive me OK.“
The Justice Department filed a civil complaint against Mr Dekker and his two companies, called Trends and KSB, to obtain a temporary restraining order, as well as obtain a temporary and permanent injunction under the Anti-Fraud Injunction Statute to prevent further fraud.
If the permanent injunction is granted, the US Postal Service would be allowed to intercept mail heading to Mr Dekker, and return it with the cash to victims.
“No one should ever be told they must pay a fee, or make a worthless purchase, to collect a prize,” said inspector in charge, Regina Faulkerson of the US Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigation Group in a statement. “When that happens, it’s fraud - plain and simple - and Postal Inspectors work to keep those falsehoods out of the US mail.”
A preliminary hearing is set for 18 July.
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