A new scam being reported in Sweetwater County uses the name of an actual Powerball Lottery winner to con people out of their money.

Sweetwater County Sheriff's Department spokesman Dick Blust says victims are contacted by email or cell phone messages that claim to come from John Robinson of Munford, Tennessee.

The messages claim Robinson wants to share $1.5 million of the $328 million he recently won in the Powerball Lottery. The victim is asked to open a bank account with the Halifax Bank, which is based in the United Kingdom, and deposit between 500 and 2000 British pounds [about $725 $3,600]  to pay for "the transfer of funds" so they can collect the $1.5 million.

Blust says the Halifax Bank is legitimate. but since the scammers demand the victim's account information, supposedly to deposit the money from Robinson, they drain the account of the money and are never heard from again.

Blust says one thing that makes the scam work is the fact that John Robinson of Munford, Tennessee really did win $328 million in the Powerball Lottery, which was widely reported through the media and online.

Blust says because the story was so widely publicized other scammers are using his name in a variety of other con schemes, some of which are based on Facebook.

Con artists will often use such details to make their schemes believable. More details on some of the common scams being used across the country is available on an FBI website.

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