TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The Florida Lottery is warning citizens of a new scam.
Lottery officials say a company using the name "LOTTO CLAIMS ASSOCIATE & SWEEPSTAKE INC" is sending letters to the public in an effort to obtain personal and financial information.
The scam letter tells the recipient that his or her prize winnings are being held up due to a zip code error. The letter provides a phone number to call and also mentions that the winner will need to pay a processing fee, as well as insurance and a delivery fee, prior to collecting the winnings. A phony check is included with this letter as partial payment and to help cover costs and incidental expenses.
The public should remember that in a legitimate lottery, a winner would never be asked to pay any type of upfront costs to collect a prize.
