LAS VEGAS, Nev. — An 80-year-old woman, Barbara Trickle, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud after prosecutors revealed she masterminded a nationwide prize notice scam, defrauding thousands of consumers, many of whom were elderly.
Trickle, a Las Vegas resident, and her co-conspirators orchestrated a fraudulent scheme in which they mailed “millions” of fake prize notifications to victims. These notices falsely informed recipients that they had won large cash prizes, but they would only receive the winnings if they paid a fee ranging from $20 to $50.
Trickle, who owned and operated a printing and mailing business, oversaw the production of these fraudulent mailings, which targeted vulnerable individuals across the United States. Despite the promise of a prize, no victim ever received any money. Instead, Trickle and her associates stole more than $15 million from unsuspecting individuals.
The fraudulent operation ran from 2012 until February 2018, when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service executed search warrants, leading to the shutdown of the scam under a court order from the Justice Department.
The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch has since warned the public to be cautious of similar fraudulent schemes, particularly those involving lottery, prize notifications, and sweepstakes scams. They also encourage victims, especially those aged 60 or older, to contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
Eric Shen, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Inspector in Charge of Criminal Investigations, emphasized the agency’s commitment to protecting older Americans from financial exploitation and pursuing justice for such crimes.
