Canadian scam artists are preying on Colorado citizens, particularly the elderly, by promising to deliver riches from north of the border in return for a "processing fee" or "border taxes," according to Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar.

Unscrupulous telemarketers, sometimes posing as U.S. Customs agents, tell potential victims that Canadian officials are holding unclaimed checks in their names for lottery or sweepstakes winnings of up to $200,000, Salazar explained in a news release. The telemarketers then ask people to mail or wire money to have their prizes delivered.

Canadian authorities report that organized crime groups are behind the scam and have used numerous telephone banks in Montreal to bilk U.S. consumers out of "millions of dollars," according to the release.

The scams often warn those they are attempting to defraud not to tell anyone about their "winnings" so they can avoid paying U.S. taxes, the release said, which discourages them from contacting authorities.

Although no contacts have been reported in Montezuma County, according to Cortez Police Chief Roy Lane and Sheriff’s spokesman Detective Lt. Kalvin Boggs, police in the Denver area have worked with potential victims to record some of these conversations.

The recordings are forwarded to "Project Colt," a cross-border working group comprised of police from both countries, for further investigation.