In an unusual twist, a postal clerk tipped Inspector Bolz off to a victim being targeted by two rival groups of foreign lottery scammers.

“He was standing in line at the Post Office ready to mail a package as one of these groups directed him when he received a phone call on his cell phone from a rival group. When they learned what he was doing, they gave him a new address to send that package. That is what he did,” Bolz said.

The astute postal clerk sent the package to Inspector Bolz, who then returned it, and a picture was taken of the victim counting the contents — more than $13,000 in cash that could have ended up in the hands of con men.

Inspector Bolz told him it was all a scam, but the victim was reluctant to believe it.

“People don`t want to believe this is a scam, because they really want to believe in that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” Bolz said.

The victim in this case tried to send money again, but Bolz spoke with his wife.

“She was very upset. She had no idea her husband was sending thousands of dollars overseas. She had to take action at that point and rein him in,” Bolz said.

The victim’s wife took his cell phone away and monitors their accounts daily — a sad byproduct of a scam that seems to be on the rise.

via Postal clerk tips off Postal Inspector to victim being targeted by scam | FOX6Now.com.