Over the past several months, police have received increasing reports of a person calling unsuspecting residents to tell them that they have won lottery jackpots worth more than $1 million. To claim the money, the caller tells the victims they must first wire money to cover the costs of wire transfers and courier services.

"Most of the scams are very similar. It's unclear whether it's in fact the same person or not," said Sgt. Joe DePrima of the Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department.

In some cases, individuals wired more than $30,000 to a bank in another state, police said.

According to a Nov. 3 police report, a woman wired an undisclosed amount after receiving a call that she had won $2 million from an international lottery. That same day, another person notified police that someone from Quebec had contacted him and told him to send $2,000 in order to receive his winning of $250,000.

"The victims just fall prey to their tactics," DePrima said. "It's unfortunate because what happens many times is it's elderly people that they go after."

To prevent future fraud cases, police have issued a few safety tips: Be wary of strangers on the phone or who appear at your door, ask for written information about organizations behind investment plans that require your immediate investment and consult your attorney or accountant before committing to anything.

Police are asking anyone who has been a victim or who receives such a call in the future to contact them at 408.354.8600.