Honolulu police detective Letha DeCaires said residents have been getting calls from outside the United States, telling them that they have won the Australian, Jamaican, Canadian or Mexican lotteries.

But to get the $1 million prize, they have to pay an advance fee, usually $2,000.

The con artists typically say the money goes toward paying for customs, mailing costs and other expenses. If the victim balks at the amount, they’ll drop the price, said DeCaires, the police coordinator at CrimeStoppers.

"They’ll say, 'we pick 10 people a week from all over the world and you’re one of the 10 lucky people,’ " she said.

"Last week, we had a person send $750 by Western Union. He contacted us when they called him again for more money."

People fall for these scams because the con artists sound authoritative, she said. Moreover, retired people tend to be the ones who get the calls.

DeCaires said not only do seniors tend to be more trusting, but they may make frequent trips to Las Vegas and assume they’ve won something they signed up for on their vacation and just forgot about.

The con artists seem to find fresh victims, even if the scam isn’t new. Years ago, a Catholic nun in Hawai'i was scammed out of $20,000 —money from herself, a sister and fellow nuns, DeCaires said.

To report an incident, call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.