Back in the day if Ed McMahon showed up at your doorstep carrying a really big check, it was typically time to start celebrating!

These days if you receive a call from someone claiming that you have won a sweepstakes contest, you need to be more cautious before you start making plans to spend all your winnings.

South Dakota is currently suffering from a rise in sweepstakes scams.

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says several victims have filed formal complaints with the state's Consumer Protection Division against the fraudulent telemarketers.

Many of the people being victimized were under the assumption they were dealing with Publisher's Clearing House. Some victims even ended up wiring money out of the country.

One person wired as much as $8,000 to an unknown source.

Jackley warns people to be on the lookout for sound-alike names. Scammers often use the names of legitimate businesses to try to trick consumers into falling for their fraudulent schemes.

Jackley reminds consumers that legitimate companies do not ask individuals for money upfront in order to be able to claim a sweepstakes price.

Check out the Publisher's Clearing House fraud protection page here.

Source: Rapid City Journal

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