Pismo Beach police are warning residents of a new Internet lottery scam in which an e-mail is sent to a “beneficiary” from the Department of Homeland Security in Montgomery, Ala.
The e-mail states the individual has won a large amount of money from an unnamed lottery company outside the United States, and advises the beneficiary to pay a $150 fee to receive the winnings.
In a news release, Pismo Beach police Sgt. Tom Portz advises residents not to respond to these types of solicitations.
Anyone who is contacted by someone saying he or she is a lottery representative and requesting a face-to-face meeting should instead immediately contact the police department, he said.
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