We all get them in our e-mail boxes, for the most part we simply delete them & hopefully block the senders address. Internet scammers are becoming very wise & catch many unsuspecting victims off guard.

As you are about the read in the article below, it happens not only via the Internet, but through other sources as well.

Note: I have changed a word to con as this software on the forums will not accept the true word, it puts in all zeros for the actual wording used, otherwise the news article is straight from the web-site.

Here is a news story about such:

Foreign lottery, Internet Con hit 2 in Clarkstown

NEW CITY — Two Clarkstown residents have been victims of cons in the past month, and police are warning others not to take part in questionable deals that look too good to be true.

Investigators learned of one case last week when a Nanuet man informed Clarkstown police that he had received a letter from England saying he won a $250,000 lottery. Along with the letter, he received a check for $3,980 and was told to immediately deposit it in his bank. The letter said after deposit he was to withdraw $2,995 and send it by Western Union to an address in England, for alleged government taxes.

The Nanuet resident sent the funds and was notified in a few days that the check he deposited was fraudulent.

In a similar but unrelated case, a New City woman told police in late December that she received an Internet offer asking whether she wanted to be a mystery shopper. She replied that she was interested and sent her information and e-mail address.

She received a response and was told she would be sent a check. In a few days the complainant received a check for $2,880 and was told to immediately deposit the check in her bank. After depositing the check, she was to go to Western Union and send the money to two locations in the Philippines and for her to keep $300 for survey fees and $40 for Western Union costs.

She made these transactions, and a few days later she received a notice from her bank that the check was fraudulent.

"If you receive a check under mysterious circumstances, it is most likely a fraud," Clarkstown Sgt. Harry Baumann said.

There is little police can do about such cons when they are operated in other countries, he said.
www.lohud.com/article/20110121/NEWS03/101210348/-1/newsfront/Foreign-lottery--Internet-00000-hit-2-in-Clarkstown