City police warn of sweepstakes scam

NORWICH – The Norwich City Police Department wants to warn local residents of a mail fraud scam. Police have received complaints regarding a lottery or sweepstakes mail scam. So far only two local residents are known to have fallen victim to the scam, and many more have probably received mail proposing it to them.

“If we have five of these (scam letters), then there are hundreds of them out there,” said City Police Chief Joseph Angelino.

A few residents received lottery or sweepstakes notices telling them they have won an amount of money. Also accompanying these letters are checks, many between two and four thousand dollars. The letter explains you need to cash these checks and then send some of it back to the company as a fee in order to process the rest of the money you’ve won and send it to you directly.

The bank accounts are usually valid, so be careful, police warn – just because the bank tells you that the account is real does not prove its legitimacy. After cashing the check you’d mail your fee back and the rest of the money would obviously never come. The check cashed under a proper bank account would be canceled before it could be paid out, which leaves the victim responsible for the amount.