Hawaiʻi Police Department
Puna District
Captain Samuel Jelsma
Phone: 965-2716
Media Release
Hawaiʻi Island police are warning the public about an ongoing lottery scam involving a letter that claims the recipient has won a substantial amount of money but must pay a “processing fee” before the prize is dispersed.
Included in the mailing is an authentic-looking check, which typically exceeds the stated processing fee, and recipients who follow instructions to call a number on the letter are directed to mail the sender a personal check. Victims of this scam later discover that the check they received for “processing fees” is bogus.
Efforts to contact the supposed lottery company usually result in discovering that the phone number has been disconnected.
The public is advised not to respond to any claim of lottery winnings in contests they never entered. Furthermore, legitimate lotteries do not ask winners to pay a “processing fee” before they can collect a prize.
