Someone has been posing online as a recent lottery millionaire from B.C.’s Lower Mainland, promising free money to desperate people from around the world in an apparent ploy to steal from them.
The actual lottery winner, Christine Lauzon of Burnaby, claimed a Lotto Max jackpot of $70 million last October. At the time, she told the B.C. Lottery Corporation she planned to share some of her winnings with family, then speak with a financial advisor before deciding what to do next.
Weeks after her win, a Facebook account under her name, with a profile picture of Lauzon accepting her prize, posted a seemingly generous offer to people in need.
“I have volunteerilly decided to help people financially, to uplift businesses, to help pay medical bills and other depressing attention worth issues (sic),” it reads. “Let me know if you faced difficulty/depressing situations that you wanna share with me and seek help.”
CTV News contacted the BCLC, which was able to reach Lauzon and confirm she is not behind the Facebook page.
A number of other fake accounts have also made posts thanking Lauzon, providing testimonials about receiving up to $10,000, no strings attached.
“Thanks to Christine. She just paid the mortgage on my house,” one account wrote. “I have been so devastated since my business has been having issues since the COVID, and she just assisted me, without asking anything for her. May God bless her.”
Real people who came across the page had different…
