One Copperas Cove Resident lost more than $4,400 after falling victim to a scam that started with a phone call from a telemarketer who told him he had won the Canadian Lottery, police said.

“In some cases, the caller requires the victim to wire money to Canada first to pay taxes on the winnings in order to obtain the prize later,” police said in a prepared release.

“Victims often receive numerous calls. Each time, the caller asks the victim to wire more money, citing complications in paying the necessary taxes or other fees associated with getting the prize,” police said.

In other cases, the caller requests the victim’s bank account numbers under the pretense that winnings will be deposited directly, or asks for credit card numbers for verification purposes.

“The problem has grown worse since many of these criminals have abandoned the traditional ‘boiler room’ settings and now use stolen cellular phones to call victims,” police said.

“The perpetrators' mobility has made it much more difficult to track them down and arrest them. There is virtually no hope of recovering any funds lost to this scheme,” police said.

Police say residents should be wary of callers who promise quick money.

They say it’s a mistake to provide information about your bank account, credit cards or other important identifiers to someone over the phone.