Lottery Scam in Buffalo

Sunday, June 11, 2006 posted 01:06 PM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Three people are accused of defrauding senior citizens in a swindle involving the sale of "trial packages" of lottery numbers that are supposed to be good bets.

State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer says his office has secured $110,000 in restitution and civil penalties based on at least 40 complaints filed since 2002 against Multi-Plays of America.

Spitzer says Multi-Plays used "sucker lists" of consumers who had been duped by telemarketers in the past to persuade some of them to buy "likely" winning state lottery numbers based on a -- quote -- "scientific formula."

The victims were elderly people, their caretakers and relatives. Michael J. Geiger and Michael D. Marranca, both of Amherst, identified as the owners of Multi-Plays, agreed to pay $100,000 to settle the civil case.

Noelle M. Allessandra, identified as the company's general manager, agreed to pay $10,000. Spitzer's office plans to establish a restitution fund.

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