Phony Lottery Scams Reported

A spokesman for the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Department says a couple of scams involving bogus lottery jackpots are being reported.

Dick Blust says one of the scams features calls to people notifying them that they have won the Jamaican Lottery. The caller tells the intended victim that they have won a huge sum of money, but must pay a fee or tax of several hundred dollars to collect their winnings. The victim is instructed to put the payment on a Green Dot credit card and provide the card information to the caller, who is then never heard from again.

The second scam is similar, except the intended victim is told they have won $499, 000 in the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. Again, the victim is asked to put several  hundred dollars on a Green Dot debit card. At least one person has lost $350 to this con, according to Blust.