What is the "Lottery/Sweepstakes Scam"?

The Scam: You receive an official-looking notification that you’ve won a lottery or sweepstakes. You are provided with a check that represents a portion of your winnings. The check may appear to be a cashier’s check, an official check, or a check drawn on a business account. Then you are instructed to wire funds to cover taxes, insurance, and/or other fees.

How it Works: The scammers may instruct you to not disclose yours winnings for security purposes and to wire the funds as soon as possible. Once you have deposited the check and wired the money, the check may take several days to be returned as a counterfeit. Unfortunately, if you have already wired the funds, you will suffer the loss.

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