Warning issued on phony check scam claiming to be lottery

State Treasurer Kate Marshall says Nevadans who have received what appears to be a check from the "National Lottery" need to know it's a scam.

The treasurer's office has identified 34 counterfeit checks sent to people around the country containing false promises that the recipient has won a large amount of money. The recipients are told they will receive their winnings as soon as they wire "processing fees" to the "Lottery."

Since the checks are counterfeit, they are worthless and the victims lose the money they wired to the scam artists.

Marshall said anyone who receives such a letter should report it to state or federal authorities. She said the state became aware of the counterfeit checks because the scam artists used state of Nevada bank routing numbers on the checks.

She said anyone who falls for the scam not only loses the "processing fees" but potentially becomes an even greater victim since the scam artists get their bank account numbers and other information.

She said anyone who has been targeted by the phony lottery scheme should contact the Federal Trade Commission at (877) FTC-HELP or www.ftc.gov. They can also contact the state treasurer's office at 684-5600.