An OPP investigation has concluded that a senior citizen in the Drayton-area was the victim of a lottery scam.

Police received a call earlier this week from the Drayton branch of the Royal Bank.  Staff became suspicious when an elderly resident was attempting to transfer around $20,000 from an account to pay a tax on a winning lottery prize.

OPP officers spoke with bank staff and the senior.  It was discovered that over $12,000 had already been transferred to unknown individuals.

The victim had been told several months ago that a prize of $3.5-million and an exotic car had been won.  Repeated contact convinced the victim that it was necessary to send money to avoid being defrauded.

If you received correspondence requesting upfront payments on winnings or rewards such as this, and are questioning the legitimacy, contact your local police service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1888-495-8501 or http://www.antifraudcentre.ca.