Just wire that retainer fee . . . You guessed it. They're all part of the same outfit, and they'll keep coming back with new lines. Carolinas residents have been taken for thousands of dollars with this scam, which goes on as long as you keep shelling out. Say no and save yourself a lot of trouble.
Someone asks for money up front to claim a prize.
Legitimate sweepstakes don't do this. The outfit is calling from Canada, especially the 514 area code. U.S. and Canadian police say there's a huge amount of telemarketing fraud based in Canada, especially the Montreal area. The caller may say you've got to act quickly or the prize will go to someone else. You may get follow-up calls asking for more money, but you haven't seen the big prize.