I was initially overjoyed to win a sweepstakes prize of $3.5 million, a car, and $7,000 weekly for life, but ended up losing $700,000. It was a friend who pointed out the issue to me.

A SENIOR citizen was hoodwinked into thinking she had won a sweepstakes prize worth $3.5million.

The woman, from Michigan, thought she had scooped $7,000 a week for life before realizing she had been scammed.

But cops in Troy revealed that she had lost almost $700,000 over months, per the NBC affiliate WDIV-TV.

And it emerged the victim, 73, told her friend who then prompted her to call the cops.

The elderly woman was tricked into thinking she had hit the jackpot.

She had been contacted by a scammer purporting to be a lawyer from the Federal Trade Commission.

They claimed that she didn’t just have a financial windfall but had won a new car.

But the fraudster reportedly told her that she had to send money to secure her prize.

Cops revealed she bought expensive pieces of jewelry and wired checks to the fraudster.

She told her friend, who wasn’t convinced that she had struck gold.

“Within the last couple weeks, [the woman] told her friend about it, and her friend said, ‘This doesn’t sound right,” Sgt. Ben Hancock, of the Troy Police Department, said.

“This seems like a scam. Maybe you should talk to the police department.’”

The scam victim has reported the case to cops and a police probe is underway.

Cops have urged Americans that they shouldn’t send money to suspected fraudsters.

Experts at Western Union have shared a series of warning signs that can help people spot a scam.

HOW TO AVOID A SCAM

Gambling firms will never ask players to send money to secure their prizes.

Americans should also be wary of emails that sound impersonal.

Fraudsters are also known for impersonating government agencies or lottery companies to sound legitimate.

But this tactic is just designed to lure victims into sharing information they shouldn’t.

Another sign of a potential scam is if fraudsters are trying to rush their victims into sending money, per Western Union.

Scammers might also send phishing links via social media apps such as WhatsApp, or a text message.

They could send a link that asks you to log into PayPal or bank accounts.

Personal data should never be shared with scammers.

Top tips on avoiding scams:

As scams become more sophisticated with the use of artificial intelligence, it is important you know how to spot a scam and how to avoid them.

• Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
• Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
• Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
• Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
• Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
• Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
• Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.

Source: Chase.com