STARKE, Fla. – A classic lottery scam is circulating around the region, but this time crooks are targeting pre-teens.
A Bradford County grandmother alerted News4Jax about the scam after her 12-year-old granddaughter, Kaitlyn Gainey, received a letter in the mail from 'the prize director.'
Kaitlyn immediately took the fake letter to her grandmother, Lou Gainey, who recognized the rip-off attempt.
"I thought it was kind (of) weird, because I'm 12 and you can't play the lottery unless you're like 21 years old, so how would I even be able to win money from the lottery?" Kaitlyn said.
Gainey's main concern was how the scammers were able to get her granddaughter's personal information.
"I mean, they don't get a newspaper, obviously (if) they have an electric bill, all of their bills would be in their parents' name and not her name, do I don't know. I have no idea how they got it," she said.
The directions on the letter said, "You've won $150,000."
It also had a claim number that said the sweepstakes took place in England.
News4Jax called the number on the letter and used Kaitlyn's claim number.
"Congratulations once again, and because it's a no entry claim, it means you do not have to pay any money out of your pocket to claim this prize its free for you to make this claim," was the response.
"I think you have to know that some things just aren't real, Gainey said. "And if it's too easy and you haven't done anything to win an award, then you need to know that you're not going to get a reward."
If you believe you are being scammed, here are some common red flags to keep in mind:
- Remember that the letter, or sometimes a caller, will tell you not to let anyone know about your big prize until after you receive it.
- They may ask you to pay a fee, or taxes, or nonsense, before they send your winnings, but the winnings never come.
Click here for more information about the scam and/or questions about other scams.