The latest scam involves con artists using the Internet to notify innocent consumers they have won the lottery.

Several TruMark Financial members contacted the credit union and reported receiving e-mails and letters from legitimate-sounding lottery organizations that assured them they won a lottery drawing held in a distant country.

Don't fall victim to lottery scams and become another statistic. If it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is not true.

Scam artists are the only winners

The lucky winners rush to pay "handling and processing fees," but never receive any winnings. There are no lottery winnings waiting, but rather con artists ready to trick people into wiring fees directly into a designated account.

The bottom line is, once the fraudsters have it, recovery is unlikely. "If it wasn't working, the number of e-mails wouldn't be increasing," FraudWatch International Managing Director Trent Youl said.

Consumers are paying large sums of money to have their fraudulent winnings released to them. Youl said victims contact FraudWatch International every day asking for assistance to recover their lost money.

If you believe you are a victim of a lottery scam, visit the Fraud Watch International website for more information or to report a complaint.

Beware: Looks can be deceiving

The lottery e-mail seems authentic with details of the time and location of the drawing, the name of the person or company included in the drawing, the name of the organization paying out the funds, even the payer's phone number and fax number. Some scam operators even refer victims to websites accessed through URLs similar to those of real corporations or institutions to make the scheme more believable.

Scam artists even go to the extent of telling the victim money has been deposited into a bank account in the victim's name. Victims are able to go to the bank's website and view an "account" with their winnings. However, the victim must send money for "handling fees" before the money can be released.

Versions of this fraud include "De Lotto Netherlands," "Diamond Lotto South Africa," "El Guardo," "Alpha Lottery International," "Canadian Lottery," "USA Lottery," and "Weltlotto Firma WorldLotto/International Programs."

Avoid Becoming a Victim:

1. Remember, you can only win the lottery if you purchased a ticket.
2. Lottery officials do not notify lottery winners. Winning lottery ticket holders contact lottery officials.
3. Don't give out your personal information through e-mail. Scam artists are trying to steal your identity.
4. If you receive a suspicious e-mail, check the Internet for lottery schemes. There are legitimate websites to help prevent consumers from being scammed.
5. Never send money for "handling or processing fees." Legitimate lotteries never ask for any type of "handling or processing fees."