Lottery scam revealed

State Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is warning consumers about a scam involving tax payments and lottery winnings.

The scheme, being run by a company calling itself “National Sweepstakes,” has been contacting people claiming they must make payments to the Internal Revenue Service in order to collect a $1 million lottery prize.

One elderly woman in Palm Beach County who was contacted wrote checks totaling $9,500 to an address in Washington. An insurance employee who learned of the situation contacted the state’s division of Consumer Services.

Legitimate lotteries do not ask for money upfront to collect winnings.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].