Sweepstakes warning: Beware phony letter

The Oregon Attorney General is warning consumers not to fall for a sweepstakes letter that claims recipients have won $1.4 million and need to pay a small fee to claim their award.

Oregon's Department of Justice has sent a letter to a New York company ordering it to stop mailing the fake notices to Oregon residents or face sanctions for violating Oregon's Unlawful Trade Practices Act.

The department's consumer hotline has received calls from people asking about the letter, which claims it's a "guaranteed sweepstakes award."

"It's just pure deception," Tony Green, a spokesman for the attorney general's office told Consumer Ally.