Refunds for Australian Lottery Scam Victims Available

(Phoenix, Ariz. – March 23, 2006) Attorney General Terry Goddard today announced that victims of an Australian Lottery scam may be eligible for refunds through the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

In 1999, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office secured a judgment against Systems 3 Marketing, Inc., Systems Marketing, SMI, Sushila Devi Kumar and Sandhya Murthi. This company and these individuals were involved in a telemarketing fraud scheme that offered chances to win a share in the Australian Lottery. The company operated out of Vancouver, Canada.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office recently recovered $175,000 that will be used to provide refunds to victims of this scam, who include as many as 1,800 people living outside Pennsylvania. The following information can be used to submit claims to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office:

Telemarketer: Systems 3 Marketing, Inc., Systems Marketing, SMI, Sushila Devi Kumar and Sandhya Murthi.
Period of Operation: The company is believed to have operated from 1996 through 1998.
Availability of Refunds: Anyone who paid any money to Systems 3 Marketing, Inc., Systems Marketing or SMI at any time for chances to participate in the Australian Lottery is eligible for a refund.
Claims Process: Consumers should submit an SMI Refund Claim Registration Form and an affidavit to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.
Deadline: Consumers seeking refunds must submit their claims before May 2, 2006.
Claim Form: SMI Refund Claim Registration Forms and affidavits can be obtained from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office at www.attorneygeneral.gov or by writing to Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 171 Lovell Avenue, Suite 202, Ebensburg, PA 15931. Telephone: (814) 471-1831; Fax: (814) 471-1840.