MARION - Williamson County Sheriff Tom Cundiff said some residents are reporting they have received a notification letter and check in the mail and have been told they have won a "shopper's sweepstakes."

Cundiff said it is probably a scam. He said the letter states that the total amount of the sweepstakes is $5 million that is to be divided equally between 20 winners. This leads the recipient of the letter to believe that he has won $250,000.

The check that is included with the notification letter is for several thousand dollars that the sender claims is taken from the recipient's winnings to cover the cost of taxes. The sender then requests that the recipient send part of the money after the check is cashed back to the sender by Moneygram or Western Union.

When it is later determined that the check isn't good, the recipient is then held responsible by the local bank for the amount of the check he or she cashed. The sender also asks that the "winner" winner contact them by telephone prior to cashing the check.

Cundiff said these types of sweepstakes winning scams can come in the mail, e-mail or over the telephone. The thing to remember, he said, is that "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Cundiff added that if a resident receives a call from someone asking for or to confirm personal information, that resident should not give the information out over the phone and should contact a local law enforcement agency immediately.

Cundiff said the resident should also check with his bank to make sure that no unauthorized charges have been placed on personal accounts.

john.homan@thesouthern.com

351-5805