Scam Alert: You’ve won the lottery

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PDF Document: Scam Letter

Citrus County, Florida — A new scam has been making the rounds and into residents’ mailboxes in Citrus County.

The sheriff’s office says it has had an influx of reports from citizens who have received a letter from Global Investments Inc. out of Canada notifying them they have just won the “International Shoppers Lotto Powerball”. Included in the letter is an authentic looking check.

READ: Fake lottery letter (pdf)
PHOTOS: Citrus County hit with lottery scam

The scam works as follows:

A citizen will receive a letter in the mail from Global Investments Inc. out of Canada which has a letter with the title “Heritage Financial Group” on the top.

This letter states the recipient is a declared winner of the “International Shoppers Lotto Powerball”.

Included is a check from the Silicon Valley Bank in Palo Alto, CA. This check amount can range from $3,000 to $5,000.

The letter includes instructions to call a claim agent and pay the government taxes on your winnings.

The claim agent tells the recipient to deposit the check at their bank and call him/her back.

The claim agent tells the recipient to mail him/her a check to cover the government taxes which is approximately $1,895.

Once the check is mailed – the claim agent stops payment on the original check which the recipient has already deposited into their account.

Anyone who receives these letters should remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you feel that you have had a similar experience, please contact the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office at 352-726-4488.

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