In this article, we will be discussing the LCIF program scam and reveal all the details about this scam. It is a text message sent by the LCIF, saying that you have got $50,000 in a lucky draw. And you can take all this money from your bank that is related to this club. Let us know what the trick behind it is?
In recent times, there have been many scam messages that people from the United States are getting. These scam messages come from someone or some company intentionally to alert the users most of the time. And the primary intention of these scams is to get your details or to get money from you.
What is this LCIF program scam?
It is conveying to you that you got money. But this is not sent by the official LCIF, but some other scammers sent this.
Be aware of scams that fraudulently use the Lions Clubs International (LCI) or Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) name or logo or other trusted and well-known names. The goal of these scams is to trick people into revealing personal and financial information about themselves, which is to commit identity theft.
It is better to delete this suspicious message and do not respond. If you wish, you may report this to local authorities in your jurisdiction for further investigation.
How do scammers approach people?
The texts regarding the LCIF program scam are of so many types. Here are a few significant ways they will send you this kind of message:
- Texts tell you have received a grant, but first need to provide personal data.
- Unexpected checks from Lions and LCIF that look legitimate, including correct routing numbers.
- Emails or messages from individuals you know saying they are in distress and need you to send money.
- Phone calls from perpetrators posing as Lions or staff, asking for donations via phone.
Unfortunately, if you lose money in a scam, it would be a significant loss. So be aware before only.
Steps you can take to avoid this kind of scam?
- If someone contacts you via phone, text, social media, or email, do not give out personal information such as passwords, Social Security numbers or national ID, credit card or bank account numbers, driver’s license, or passport numbers.
- As a general practice, when receiving irrelevant emails, do not follow embedded links in emails, especially if there is any mention of updating credit card information, personal data, PINs, or passwords. Delete these emails immediately.
- Verify that the URL address is always. Check if it begins with “https://.” The single letter “S” after “http” indicates a secure site and is likely legitimate. If the URL is not secure, close your browser immediately.
- If contacted by another club member or the association headquarters via email, mobile text message, or social media, and there is a request for financial assistance, wire transfer, etc., do not reply to the message.
- Always use virus protection software on your PC or MAC to save yourself from scams like the LCIF program scam.
- Be alert when using public Wi-Fi systems in a coffee house, restaurant, or internet café. These public systems offer no protection from unauthorized, fraudulent monitoring.
- Create strong passwords for your email, social media, and other online accounts, and update your passwords often.
- Never store passwords, banking information, or credit card numbers in your email.
- If you receive an unexpected check, do not deposit it but instead contact the source of the funds to confirm you were to receive the funds.
- If a person you don’t know personally asks you to wire money on behalf of LCI or LCIF, contact the help desk.
What do people say about this scam?
It is a group of scammers that is doing all these things. They opened social media accounts and are trapping users too. We are sharing a few real-time experiences that people mentioned over the web.
Tina says,
“I have had a friend on Facebook that I have been friends with for years. So I sent her a message. She said she was great since her life had been turned around by getting $50,000 from the LCIF program in the United States. And she suggested that if I pay an amount of $10,000 in the given account number, I will also be eligible for this lucky amount. Who will be giving money for free, I thought?”
Annie says,
“I received information at work about the LCIF program offering families $50,000 or more of government money in exchange for my personal information. They wanted all of my info, including my mother’s name and, for the sake of god, my credit card pin too. It is a complete scam.”
Like this, so many people have suspected it as fraud.
Conclusion
We have discussed the LCIF program scam in this article and mentioned how scammers might approach you. With the steps mentioned above, you may save yourself from these tricks.
Have you ever got this kind of spam message? You can share your story in the comment section.