Walter Wier was about to lose $13,000 in a lottery scam before postal workers saved him.

It's a familiar ruse. A letter appears in your mailbox telling you that you have won millions of dollars in another country's lottery game. Or you get a phone call from a lottery 'official.'

All you have to do to collect it is pay an administration fee to claim the prize.

Walter Wier almost lost over $13,000 to a Florida lottery scam before the quick thinking of local postal workers stopped him, and the police were able to track down the scammer.

Sheena Wood was targeted by a lottery scam which tried to fool her into handing over a £2,000 processing fee for a £825,000 cash prize. Photo: The Argus

These scams often target the elderly who are trusting and believe the printed word.

Attorney General Mark Brnovich"In this case, the prize sounds too good to be true because it is,” said Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, speaking about a foreign-based scheme.

"Unfortunately, these scammers are targeting vulnerable members of our community whose judgment becomes clouded by the possibility of hitting it big."

The Jamacian based scammers targeted seniors and pressured them to send hundreds of dollars to claim their fake prizes.

Officials say it is important to remember that once you wire money or pay with a prepaid card, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to recover your losses. 

Attorney General Mark Brnovich offers these tips on avoiding foreign lottery scams:

• Do not wire money or send prepaid cards to someone you do not know, even if the scammers tell you to send money to someone in the United States.
• Do not provide your bank account information, credit card information or other personal identifying information to someone who you do not know. A scam artist can use the information provided to empty bank accounts, place unauthorized charges on a credit card or commit identity theft.
• Do not deposit a “prize” check or “winnings” check and wire funds back. The check is fake and you will owe the bank any fees associated with the fake check, as well as, any money you withdrew from that check.    
• Do not believe an offer that requires you to pay upfront to collect a prize. 
• Remember, it is illegal to play a foreign lottery through the mail or over the phone.