[Critique Group 1] Are we meeting tonight?

Wed Feb 19 21:13:27 EST 2020

Sally,

We're meeting Thursday night, tomorrow.sorry!

I did send you Cleora's submission so I'm wondering if you're not getting my
email? I will paste it again below. Hope tomorrow works for you.

Marcia

Cleora February

1526 words

Congratulations! You Are A Winner

by C. S. Boyd

Woo-Hoo! I'm a three million five hundred thousand dollar winner.

My phone rings, and I answer.

"This is John Wesley Harden with readers Discovery.

Are you familiar with Reader's Discovery?" the caller asks.

"Um, somewhat," I stammer, thinking this is a call to get me to buy a
subscription.

"You know, with publishers Copy house.

I'm calling to notify you of being a second prize winner.

We sent you a letter, but we didn't hear from you. You are a Publisher's
Copy House winner as of 16 July. Your name has been selected as winner of
three million five hundred thousand dollars and a brand new C class Metal
Mercedes car."

We talk some more. Every so often he asks a question that should get a "yes"
answer. I'm suspicious. I think I grunted uh-huh a couple of times, but I
avoid ever outright saying the word "yes."

"I need you to write down three pieces of information," he continues. "Go
get a pencil and paper to write this information down."

I tell him to hold on while I go get a digital recorder and try to get it to
start recording.

He was able to hear JAWS (my screen reader) in the background. He thought it
was the TV, and told me to turn it down so he could give me all my winning
details.

"This is 100% legitimate sure. For me here today," he assures me.

"I want you to be listening keenly, so you can have all the information
written the way you are supposed to.

name of company

Publisher's Copy house, The rd company. Stands for reader's Discovery.

address for company

101 Winners Circle

Fort Washington, NY 11727

I would like you now to have the toll free number for the company.

876 483 7012.

Now, verify that back."

I repeat back what he told me to write down.

"That's wonderful," he says.

"Now, you need my badge number.

badge number PCH-RD881052 (PCH short for Publisher's Copy House RD stands
for Reader's Discovery)"

He repeats his badge number.

"You're also going to need having down my full name.

My Full name that's Mr. John Wesley Hardin.

I am the CEO manager and the prize control manager for both departments.

Now you're going to have down the amount of money your name was selected for
on the second place category.

That's three million five hundred thousand dollars. Congratulations!

Is this the first time you've ever won yourself a prize?"

" No, I've won prizes before."

"From our company also?"

"No, not from Publisher's Copy House."

"And, you have down your three million five hundred thousand dollars??"

"I have it down. Three million five hundred thousand."

"And, you're going to have down a C class Metal Mercedes?" 

"I have it down."

"Do you still drive?"

"No. I don't drive anymore."

"How do you get around?"

"I have a car. Others drive it for me."

"You don't sound very excited that you are a lucky winner here."

"I'll get excited when the money is in the bank, and the car in the garage."

"Your prize should be delivered to you on Monday at 1:35 in the afternoon.

And, the only thing here to be registered by you to be a winner is your
shipping and handling and registration fee.

To register your name under the government legal act so they can see that
you have taken care of your shipping and handling fee and the registration
fee on the prize.

Alright?"

"And how much is that fee?"

"Shipping and handling, that's 38 hundred. Write it down. And, the
registration fee, then, is 15 hundred dollars.

The 38 hundred, that is going to be for the arrival of the package because
the package is currently down in Dallas, Texas."

"It is in Dallas right now?" 

"Yes, it is in Dallas right now. That's the curtesy why we're calling
because you were supposed to receive this package last week, but we weren't
able to get ahold of you.

We sent you a letter, but we still didn't get a response from you. That's
you, the owner of the package.

That's the reason why your package is in Dallas and can't be transferred
over to Fort worth. And, can't get everything delivered.

So I need you to read back everything from the beginning that you have on
the paper."

I repeat everything back to him.

Now it is time for me to quickly sprint to my purse for my credit card... 

WRONG!

"I can't pay that," I say.

"You can't, or you won't?" he asks.

"I won't," I answer.

"Get off here," he commanded, and hung up.

I must say that reaction from him surprised me. I would have liked to
continue the conversation a little longer to find out what kind of plan he
would have come up with for me to pay the $5,300 in fees to get this bogus
prize. Of course, I knew from the start this was a scam.

How did I know? 

The names used in the script are fictitious, but I'm very familiar with the
types of prizes offered by the company in question. I had entered one of
their contests, but I know this is not the way prizes are distributed, and
this was not the second prize in the contest I entered. 

He said they had sent me a notice the week before and not heard from me. I
never received any kind of letter or notice that I won any prize. I have won
prizes before. Sometimes the prize just arrives in the mail. Other times, I
get a phone call. Once, I had to go pick up the prize in a local contest.
Any time I have won something in a contest I didn't enter, it has been a
promotion of some type. I have never won a prize in a contest or sweepstakes
I didn't enter. If you haven't entered a contest, something is not right.

Did you notice how many times he tried to get me to say the word "yes?" If
this is a scam call, they may be trying to get you to say "Yes." So they can
record it and use it as proof that you authorized a charge on a credit card
or purchased a product or service.

This guy claims to be the CEO manager and the prize control manager for both
departments. Why is this guy making these calls himself? If they can afford
to give away 3.5 million dollars and a Mercedes as a second prize, shouldn't
he have a staff to do this? That's like the promotional letters I get that
are signed by the president. He is the sole proprietor of a small business.

By law, a company cannot require you to make a purchase as part of a prize
entry. Granted, the shipping and registration fees are not technically a
purchase, but I think if there is a registration fee involved, surely the
company would be the one to pay that. I have never had to register any prize
I have won. The shipping and handling fee is like the "Thank you" gifts I
get from companies where I have to pay shipping and handling to get my free
gift that I could buy for about the same cost as the S&H fee at any dollar
or office supply store. It isn't a gift if I have to pay shipping and
handling, or Buy a meal to get my free dinner. These last two examples
aren't scams. They are promotions or a form of advertising. You do get
something for the money spent. It's just not really a gift.

He says the "package" not "check" is in Dallas. Is he suggesting this is a
cash prize? That would be a really big package. I guess that is supposed to
justify the delivery fee.

To my knowledge, there is no government regulation requiring a person to
register their prize. I have never had to register any prize I have won.

He didn't have a foreign accent, but he talked like someone who didn't have
a good command of the English language. This technique of using a foreign
accent or poor grammar is used to weed out those who are not likely to fall
for the scam. Those people will usually hang up as soon as the promoter
starts talking. The scammers are looking for the naive gullible greedy
person who just can't resist the possibility that it might be real.

However, as soon as my 3.5 mill is in the bank, and the new Mercedes safely
in my garage, I'll gladly pony up the $5,300 shipping and registration fees
if they are required.

The really bad news is that what these people are doing is cruel and
unethical, but is not technically illegal according to the police and phone
company. So, watch out folks. Don't get taken in. This was cheap. Not all of
them are. Once they get your money, there is not a lot that can be done to
prosecute or get your money back.

From: Group1 [mailto:group1-bounces at bluegrasspals.com] On Behalf Of Sally
Rosenthal
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2020 5:35 PM
To: Marcia Wick <marciajwick at gmail.com>
Cc: tuchyner at aol.com; Critique Group 1 <group1 at bluegrasspals.com>
Subject: [Critique Group 1] Are we meeting tonight?

I thought we were meeting tonight, but no one else was on the conference
call when I called, and we haven't gotten an order of reading from Leonard.
I hope I just have the wrong night and that nothing is wrong.  I still
haven't gotten Cleora's submission.

Sally

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