The reality is, the story is an “urban legend.” CBP did not originate any emails like this, even though the fake might look convincing. And there is another scam making the rounds, especially in communities near Canada. It’s a telephone scam targeting elderly Americans, promising them big payoffs.

One such scam targets elderly people who enter sweepstakes through the mail. Typically, a telephone call is placed from Canada to the United States from a person identifying him- or herself as a lawyer, judge, Canadian tax official or CBP officer.

The caller advises the victims that they have just won a substantial foreign lottery jackpot, usually between $200,000 to $300,000. The victim is told that, before claiming the winnings, they must first pay “duty” or a “transfer fee” on the winnings. The scam artist tells the victims that they must wire the money to a Canadian address.

The victims are told that an armored car delivery service will deliver the winnings to their home the day after the “fee” is received. The scam artists will tell the victim not to notify their financial institution, as they will then be turned into the IRS and taxed upwards of 40 percent on their winnings.

If a potential victim refuses to send a money transfer, the scam artist, in an attempt to legitimize the scam, will tell the victim they can instead pay the fee in person at one of the border crossings.