DIXFIELD — The Dixfield Police Department is warning residents to be on the lookout for a scam from the so-called American Sweepstakes Publishers.
Sgt. Jeff Howe said on Tuesday that a resident on Friday gave him a letter from the Shawnee Mission, a Kansas company claiming that he had won over $1 million.
To receive the money, the recipient of the letter was asked to send $12 as a processing fee. The document looks real and includes a telephone number.
Howe said he called the number and got a message asking him to leave a number and the company would call back, which they never did.
He said his department, along with others, received a notice in March warning against such scams. This was the first known instance in Dixfield.
Howe asks any resident who has received a similar letter claiming that they have won money providing they mail a processing fee to contact the police department. He said the department will use such complaints to track documents for the Federal Trade Commission.
Such letters can be used for fraud, theft or identify theft, he said.
“Throw the letter away immediately. If a letter asks for money to get money, it’s most likely a scam,” he said.
Anyone who receives a similar letter may also call the Federal Trade Commission at 1-888-382-1222.
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