A scam has been reported. Winning the lottery and Publishers Clearing House winner letters are still circulating.

If you receive a letter, email, text, or phone call claiming you won a huge prize from a lottery or sweepstakes you never entered — it’s almost certainly a scam.

The Jackson Police Department had a community member stop by  with a letter that also included a fake check which he was instructed to cash to "help cover the cost of the taxes."

Washington County Sheriff’s Office Detective Andy Meier told WTKM that the Publishers Clearing House scam comes up quite often.

"It's the most popular one. The scammers will call through a chatbot or a spam call. They tell the victim that they have won a prize, usually cash or cars. They want the victim to send funds for taxes and other fees before they claim their prize. The scammers will initiate fee after fee after fee in this case until the victims can't pay anymore. Unfortnately, the victims never claim their prize."  

Scammers often use fake logos, official-sounding language, and urgent deadlines to pressure people into sending money or personal information.

Legitimate lotteries and sweepstakes do not require upfront payments to claim their winnings.