"Winning" lottery tickets are being mailed to homes in Canberra promising named recipients large amounts of money, with one drawback - they are fake.
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The scratchie tickets, which reveal "prizes" of US$175,000, are accompanied by a glossy travel brochure purporting to come from a Malaysian travel agency.
The tickets carry a condition written on the back that states the winner will be liable for any taxes payable.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has warned recipents to be wary of such offers promising large cash prizes when they had not paid for a ticket.
The ACCC, while not commenting on this particular offer, stated in its annual report on scams that Australians lost $5,065,359 on lottery and sweepstakes scams last year. It found that 93 people lost more than $10,000 each.
"You will usually be asked to pay some fees to release your winnings," an ACCC spokesman said.
Fake lottery companies also often ask for detailed personal information which leaves recipients vulnerable to identity theft.
The New Zealand government has gone as far as posting a picture of the glossy Malaysian brochure - which bears the words Crown Regency Travels - on its department of internal affairs website to alert its citizens to the scam.
When the Sunday Canberra Times contacted the company, a spokesman insisted the offer was real and denied that any money needed to be paid.
"We are a tour company based in Malaysia for more than 10 years," he said.
"This November we are setting up new offices in Sydney. This event is to promote the new opening of our offices."
The spokesman for the ACCC said people should be wary and not part with any money.
"Scammers will often say these fees are for insurance costs, government taxes, bank fees or courier charges," he said.
"The scammers make money by continually collecting these fees from you and stalling the payment of your 'winnings’. You will lose all the money you pay to the scammers."
The spokesman said companies often bought people's details in order to make the offer directly to the intended target.