MEDFORD – Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone is warning all residents, especially seniors, of a telephone scam that is occurring in many communities.

The foreign lottery scam recently targeted one Medford man and one Cambridge man, who both lost thousands of dollars each.

The lottery scam is conducted by a third party who contacts a victim by phone and convinces the victim that they have won a lottery in the West Indies or Costa Rica.  The party than tells the victim that in order to claim their winnings, they must pay upfront taxes on the prize money before they can collect their winnings, which is usually in the tens of thousands of dollars.  After the victim mails the check, the subject says that they should wait until a fictitious date, when the supposed “winnings” will be awarded.  The “winnings” are never sent.

“This is a telemarketing scam that is targeting people in many of our communities, especially our seniors, at a time when people are hard-pressed financially.” District Attorney Leone said.  “We are warning citizens never to send money or checks to anyone who has contacted you that you do not know, especially when that person has a foreign address.  If you feel that you have been a victim of this or a similar scam, we urge you to contact your local police department.”

If you have been contacted by someone who has told you that you have won a foreign lottery, please contact your local police department immediately.  Also, if you recognize that you have been contacted by the following phone numbers, please report this to your local police:

1-876-397-5452          1-876-894-3554          1-876-486-2159

Watertown Police Department Main Number 617-972-6500

Watertown Police Department Detective Bureau: 617-972-6545