An elderly Chesterton woman has apparently been scammed of $13,000, Chesterton Police said.

According to police, on Wednesday the 79-year-old woman reported that in February she received a letter from "Capital One Holding and Trust" to the effect that she had an unclaimed Australian Sweepstakes prize in the amount of $2.5 million.

The woman completed a payment processing form and faxed it as directed and was then contacted by a "representative" of the Australian Sweepstakes, who informed her that she needed to overnight a cashiers check for $13,323 to a sweepstakes attorney in Louisiana.

She did so, police said.

The woman has not received her prize, however, and after contacting the sweepstakes rep was told that the money was being held up in customs, police said.

"The Chesterton Police Department reminds everyone to be cautious when responding to unsolicited mailings concerning sweepstakes and contests," the CPD said today. "Whenever these are received, citizens should make every effort to make sure that the organization is legitimate and the mailing is not a scam or a fraud. Citizens can report suspected business fraud to the Indiana Attorney General's Office as well as their local police agencies."

Find the Indiana Attorney Generals website at www.in.gov/attorneygeneral

Posted 6/23/2011