Brookline Police Warn of Sweepstakes Scam

Brookline police are warning elderly residents to be weary of unexpected sweepstakes payouts after a resident was caught up in a scam that cost him a “decent sum of money.”

 Police say the man received a mailing from a group calling itself “Financial Express” that included a realistic check and claimed that the man had won the “North American and the UK Consumer Promotion Draw.” The letter claimed that the man would receive his full payout after contacting a claims agent and sending in money to pay for the taxes on his winnings.

The man wired in a check, which was cashed, but never received any payment. The check included with the initial payment turned out to be counterfeit, police said.

Police believe the mailing originated outside the country and may be part of a scam targeting elderly residents.

“Brookline Police want to make residents aware of this scam in order to prevent any future money from being lost,’ the department said in a press release.

Anyone who receives a similar mailing is asked to contact police at 617-730-2222.