Federal officials have helped the family of a Raleigh woman recover $45,000 of the nearly $200,000 that she lost to Jamaican scammers who told her that she had won a lottery prize.
Officials with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said authorities found $45,000 left in the scammer's account tied to the victim. Immigration agents worked with Homeland Security Investigations, Jamaican authorities, the Winston-Salem police and the woman's bank to find the money.
Authorities say the woman, who is in her 90s, received information last May that she had won a lottery prize. A man later told her that she owed $9,000 in taxes and other expenses to receive the prize. She turned over nearly $200,000 before reporting the scam.
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