RESIDENT TIPS POLICE TO LOTTERY PHONE SCAM.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

PALMDALE - A new lottery scam has hit the Antelope Valley, but an alert Littlerock resident avoided being taken and notified Palmdale sheriff's deputies.

Detectives said local residents who play the Canadian Lotto have been receiving phone calls saying they have won but must first pay taxes before they can collect their prize.

``We believe that the suspects are local, with some ties to Canada,'' said Deputy Key Budge.

An unidentified Littlerock man received a call this week from someone claiming to be a Canadian lottery official. The resident was told that before he could receive his winnings, he had to pay nearly $17,000 in Canadian taxes.

The resident was told to obtain a cashier's check and give it to a lottery employee who would pick up the check from the man's home. The resident did not follow the instructions and called deputies instead, Budge said.

During the course of the bogus calls, deputies said, the suspect tried to obtain information about the victim's bank account and other financial data. That information can be used to access the victim's accounts and obtain credit in the victim's name.