The Bullhead City Police Department is warning the public, particularly seniors, about lottery and prize notification scams.

Two local victims recently received a phone call from a man claiming to be from “Publisher’s Clearing House.” The scammer gave very specific instructions on how to send money for “taxes” or “processing fees” in order to collect their winnings.

When one of the victims discovered it was a scam and refused to send more money, the scam artist threatened that the FBI would be involved if they didn’t pay the fee/taxes.

The following are ‘red flags’ to help identify this scam, courtesy of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office:

• You are asked to wire money, especially to another country or state, to cover fees, taxes etc.
• You are urged to send money immediately or the prize will be lost.
• You are asked to keep your winnings a secret.
• You are offered a large sum of money in the form of fake checks.
• You are asked for your bank account information so the prize can be deposited directly into your account.
• If you did not buy a lottery ticket, you did not win the lottery.

For more information on other scams and prevention tips, log on to www.azag.gov or www.ftc.gov.