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OTTUWMA, IOWA -- Ottumwa Police are warning residents to be on the lookout for a new scam that’s circulating in the area.

Authorities learned of a new telephone scam this week. An Ottumwa resident was contacted by someone claiming that the resident won money in a Canadian publishing company sweepstakes two years ago. The caller told the resident the check had been delayed for the past two years because it was caught up in a scam and Canadian authorities were investigating the incident.

The Ottumwa resident then received another call, this time from someone claiming to be a Canadian police officer. The scammer told the resident they contacted the Ottumwa police so the resident could confirm the winnings were legitimate with local authorities. The resident received a third call, from someone using an actual Ottumwa Police officer’s name,  who confirmed the check was real and offered to escort the resident to the bank when the check arrived.

The resident was told to send $3,000 to a Canadian company to cover insurance on the check for the $600,000 winnings. The resident discovered this was all a scam when they called the Ottumwa Police Department to notify them the check was supposed to arrive this week and set up the escort to the bank.

The Ottumwa Police Department says elderly residents are often the target of these types of scams.