It's a warning that bares repeating every time someone falls for it. Don't cash checks that claim to pay for taxes on lottery winnings. An Omaha woman did and got taken.

Embarrased about losing $5,000 in a Canadian lottery scam, Connie asked that her last name not be revealed. She wants to warn others not to fall for the promise of riches.

Connie believed her problems were over with the notice she'd won $125,000 in a Canadian lottery. “I thought for once in my life maybe things are going to come my way and maybe I'm gonna be a winner for a change.”

The letter came with a check so she could pay so-called fees. But after cashing the check and wiring fees to Canada the check bounced leaving Connie liable to her bank for nearly $5,000.

"I just feel so used and I want people to be aware of this."

This lottery scam that cost Connie will go in the mail fraud bucket at the postal inspector's office where they're trying a new, Hollywood-style approach to prevent victims like her.

“Crooks tell people they can make money playing the lottery in foreign countries" is a line from a movie based on true stories of people who lost in lottery scams. It's available for showing potential victims either alone or in groups.

"You see real victims saying I lost my money, I thought it was real, but it's not," says postal inspector Dave Margritz.

Connie needs a script for getting out of debt. Her bank demands she cover the nearly $5,000 fraudulent check, so she's gone to Credit Advisors for help.

“The debt seems overwhelming at first, but there are ways to get that taken care of over time with some help from a certified counselor," said Sam Hohman of Credit Advisors.

A hard-working single woman, Connie fell blindly in love with the promise of riches that turned out to be a big lie. "I feel like very much a victim and a sucker on something like this."

Postal inspectors encourage anyone who works with senior citizens or other vulnerable adults to get a DVD for group presentations. Even younger adults can fooled.

Contact the postal inspector through postalinspectors.uspis.gov.