A Buffalo, New York company that promised it would pick winning lottery numbers has been ordered by a judge to stop doing business in Iowa. A spokesman for Iowa’s Attorney General, Bob Brammer, says the order covers the business called “Multi-Plays of America.” He says the company would call and say they could provide winning lottery numbers by using a “scientific formula” to get the most likely winning combinations. Brammer says once the company got someone to agree, then they’d take money out of their bank account. He says the people didn’t even know in some cases that the money was being taken out of their accounts. He says they company tended to target older Iowans and they know of over 100. Brammer says the company took out amounts ranging from 40 dollars to 149 dollars from people’s accounts. Brammer says the company couldn’t supply winning numbers. He says there was no connection to the Iowa Lottery. Brammer says the director of the Iowa Lottery says the numbers are drawn randomly and there’s virtually no way to tell which numbers will be drawn. Brammer says the company has to pay back the money it took from people in Iowa. He says if you may’ve been fooled by the company, you should call the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s office at: 888-777-4590.
