Eli Lilly Issues Alert for Two Illegal Scans Involving Co. Name

Eli Lilly and Company

today issued an alert about two illegal scams, purportedly using the name of the company and/or its subsidiary Elanco Animal Health, that are actively targeting the public through postal mail solicitations and job-seekers through online dialogue. Lilly and Elanco have no connection to any foreign lottery organizations and do not conduct the type of online recruiting described by the job-seeking victims of the scam. The activities described in these scams are completely fraudulent and are in no way affiliated with, or sponsored by, Eli Lilly and Company or its affiliates or subsidiaries. In the first scam, victims have reported receiving a letter from a foreign lottery sweepstakes organization indicating that the victims have won a large cash award. Included with the letter is a fraudulent check drawn on an account in the name of Eli Lilly and Company or its subsidiary Elanco Animal Health. The check is supposedly to cover lottery fees, taxes or other expenses. Victims are instructed to contact a claims agent, and are then told to deposit the check into their bank account and transmit an amount of money back to the lottery organization or to a broker. In the second scam, victims have reported being contacted through email or other online methods regarding potential employment opportunities with Lilly based on the victims' submission of information to certain resume and career websites. Through online dialogue, the victims are told they are either being considered for or are being offered employment with Lilly. At some point in the dialogue, the victims are told to expect a check to be delivered to them which they are to deposit into their bank account and then use the funds to purchase "working materials" from an online vendor. Lilly has notified law enforcement agencies of these scams and the fraudulent use of the company's identity. Individuals who have become victims of these scams, or who receive the fraudulent notices or solicitations, are encouraged to file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). A report can be filed at: http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx.  Scams such as these can take various forms.  A description of various fraudulent schemes can be found on the IC3 website at http://www.ic3.gov/crimeschemes.aspx.