Jan 30, 2026
When a 72-year-old woman in Van Buren County, Michigan, got a call that she’d won $5.5 million in the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, she was swept off her feet.
Unfortunately, the fraudster who made the call proceeded to sweep money out of her bank account, convincing her she had to pay $200,000 in taxes before she could claim the prize.
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As MLive report, she followed instructions, mailing money to multiple addresses — $90,000 of it to an address in New Jersey (1).
Michigan State Police arrested a suspect — Donald Johnson Jr., 55, of Morris County, New Jersey — in connection with the case (2). He was extradited to Michigan.
Whether the fraud victim will get her money back remains to be seen, but her experience is a classic example of an advance-fee scam.
The FBI describes advance-fee scams as frauds in which victims are promised something of value (including lottery winnings) but must pay money upfront. Then they get nothing back (3).
Here’s how to protect yourself and those you love.
How to identify lottery scams
Lottery, sweepstakes and inheritance scams are big business, with Americans reporting more than $100 million in losses in 2024, according to the FBI (4). The FTC adds that older adults report more cases of sweepstakes and lottery scams than younger Americans.
The American Bankers Association notes that criminals are targeting Americans over age 50 because they hold most of the nation’s wealth (5).
The Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) adds that criminals will exploit older adults’ trust, cognitive abilities or lack of awareness of financial scams (6).
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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises all Americans to be wary of these lottery-scam red flags (7):
You’re asked to pay money upfront before you receive your prize, for example for:
- taxes
- shipping and handling charges
- processing fees
- or customs duties
You’re told you have to pay more to increase your odds of winning a prize.
You’re told you need to hand over personal information, such as your bank account, credit card number or Social Security number.
Fraudsters will do all they can to convince you they’re legitimate, including making spoof calls that appear to be from a name or phone number you recognize. Only use contact information you look up on verified websites or the numbers listed on the back of your bank or credit card.
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Con artists may claim to represent a government-supervised lottery or a company that runs real sweepstakes — like Publishers Clearing House. But legitimate companies will never ask you to pay money to collect a prize.
Moreover, Publishers Clearing House declared bankruptcy in 2025, so beware of anyone telling you that you’ve won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes (8)
Messages saying that you’ve won a foreign lottery are “almost certainly from a scammer,” the FTC says, noting that it is illegal for U.S. citizens to play a foreign lottery.
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How to protect yourself
The best route of protection is prevention.
Scammers will tell you to “act now” or you’ll miss out, seeking to play with your emotions so you make decisions you might not otherwise make.
Trust your gut if you are feeling uneasy. Hang up and stop responding to their messages. Do not click on any links in texts or emails.
What if you or someone you know fell for a scam?
First and foremost, stop communicating with the fraudsters. Then reach out to your financial institution or relevant company if you may a payment or paid by:
- gift card
- wire transfer
- money transfer app
- or cryptocurrency
Report suspect fraud and see if they can reverse the charges
If you sent cash in the mail, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 and ask if they can intercept the package.
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If you gave scammers your passwords, PIN codes or usernames, change them so they are strong and hard to guess. If you use the same passwords for anything else, change those as well.
If you gave a scammer your Social Security number, visit IdentityTheft.gov to report the incident as soon as possible.
Report the incident to local law enforcement, the FTC and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Older adults can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline (833–FRAUD–11) to identify next steps and make reports to the FBI or the FTC on their behalf (9).
Finally, be sure to let friends and family know so that they can support you and so they won’t be as likely to fall for the same scam.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
MLive (1); Michigan State Police Fifth District X (2); FBI (3, 4); American Bankers Association (5); ACAMS (6); U.S. Federal Trade Commission (7); CNN (8); U.S. Department of Justice (9)
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Rebecca Payne has more than a decade of experience editing and producing both local and national daily newspapers. She's worked on the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, Metro, Canada's National Observer, the Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press.
