Contact 6 investigates Eagle Heart Sweepstakes



MILWAUKEE -- 77-year-old Jolly Freeman was ecstatic when she received an early-morning phone call back in September, saying she had won $3,500,000! Jolly wanted her daughter, Ramona to do all the talking with Eagle Hearts Sweepstakes and agent Steve Spears. The letter they received looks like it's from the Federal Trade Commission, a consumer protection agency that assists with such sweepstakes, and all they had to do, was send in $1,750 and they were told the money would be released.

After Jolly returned from sending the $1,750 via Western Union, agent Steve Spears told her she'd been bumped up to the first place prize-winner, but they would need another $1,750. "As they say, I just got caught up," Jolly said.

Finally, Jolly's daughter Ramona knew something was wrong, after Spears was asking for more than $9,000. "I said, 'I know what we can do. I can take this sweepstakes letter to the bank, and they will guarantee me a loan really quick,' and he was like, 'you can't tell a soul.' I was like, 'what?'" Ramona said. Ramona says Spears said telling anyone would jeopardize her winnings.

"I said, 'Steve, off the record, this is a scam. This is a big time scam.' He said 'oh, no, no Ramona, it's not.' He said 'I tell you what, I'll call you back in an hour,' and we're still waiting on that hour," Ramona said.

Ramona and Jolly came to Contact 6 because even if they never get their money back, they wanted to let others know that Eagle Heart Sweepstakes is a scam. Contact 6 always advises people: you should never have to pay money if you've won money.