A fake sweepstakes lottery is making the rounds in Kansas, and at least one person already has lost $7,000 in the scam, Kansas Atty. Gen. Carla Stovall said.

Stovall said the scam goes like this: The victim receives a letter in the mail appearing to be a sweepstakes entry offering an opportunity to participate in a money-making lottery or contest from Canada.

After the form is filled out and returned, the victim receives a “prize notification” stating that he or she is one of the winners and that it is necessary to pay the “taxes” on the prize before receiving the winnings.

The victim is contacted by telephone with instructions on where to mail a certified check, which usually is requested to be sent by express delivery or overnight mail. Soon after mailing the check, the victim may be contacted again with more requests for money to cover additional fees or charges.

Victims of this scam or those who believe they have received correspondence from its perpetrators should contact The Kansas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at (800) 432-2310.