BALTIMORE — Matthew Middleton almost fell for it.
A stranger contacted him with what sounded like life-changing news, informing Middleton that he'd won millions of dollars. The caller identified himself as Dave Clark and claimed to be a sweepstakes advisor for Reader's Digest and Publishers Clearing House.
"He said I was the winner of $9.4 million and a brand new Mercedes-Benz and I'm like yah right, okay," Middleton said.
Middleton said he was suspicious at first, but the caller reminded him he had entered the sweepstakes online. The caller then told him the prize would be delivered in cash and sent videos and photos he claimed showed Middleton's money being counted.
Then came the catch.
"He said, yes, the only thing you need is to pay document fee like $500 via Apple gift card. That's when a light went off," Middleton said.
Middleton questioned it and reached out for help.
"I said let me contact Mallory, see what she says about it, and thank you for responding to me because I, I knew it was a scam. I knew it. I just had that feeling and you confirmed it. Thank you very much," Middleton said.
A real sweepstakes will never make you pay to claim your prize. Middleton knew that, but he said the scammer nearly wore him down anyway.
"He was persistent. I thought he was good by him being persistent, I thought he was on the up and up," Middleton said.
"Did you let yourself imagine what you would have spend that money on?" asked WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii.
"I sure did imagine. That's all it was — imagination," Middleton responded.
Community members in Havre de Grace have also reported being targeted by similar sweepstakes scams.
And the Department of Justice recently announced charges against Jamaican nationals living in Maryland accused of running a lottery fraud scheme. Prosecutors say victims were told they had to pay taxes and fees before collecting their winnings. Some lost their life savings, with more than $9.5 million reported stolen.
The Federal Trade Commission warns that legitimate sweepstakes never require you to pay money to claim a prize or improve your chances of winning. The FTC also warns that scammers often pressure victims to act fast before they have time to think it through.
One of the biggest red flags, according to the FTC, is anyone asking you to pay fees, taxes, or buy gift cards to claim a prize.
To report a sweepstakes scam, visit the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or the FBI at IC3.gov.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.