Central Florida News 13, Generation to Generation

Central Florida News 13, Generation to Generation: "We've all opened the mailbox and found, were one of the lucky ones! Just pay a small fee and millions could be ours. But beware, last year, lottery and sweepstakes fraud cost folks over age 50 more than forty million dollars.

Sid Kircheimer, who tries to help people spot the fraud said, 'They really know how to manipulate people's emotions and they say 'you have to do nothing except reply and get your fortune.'

Jim Harris knows all too well about getting hooked by sweepstakes promising big bucks.'That's probably one of the things that hooks you more than anything is the fact that it's so much money, and the possibility that there is truth in all of that. However, it turned out that there was no truth in nothing.' Harris said.

Harris was promised more than a million dollars, if he would deposit three checks worth $3,000 each, and then wire that same amount to a location in Canada to help cover insurance fees.

Kircheimer says, 'Most sweepstakes scams involve trying to work in a processing fee or insurance fee. It's never okay to pay any money if you win a legitimate prize.'

Harris knows all to well what happens when the scam works,'The checks were counterfeit, the balance had to be made-up at the bank by my own funds.'

The ideal solution to protect yourself is to NOT use any of your personal email addresses to enter and NEVER, NEVER send money to claim your winnings.