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Suspicious Sunflower Bank officials called the Salina Police Department on Friday when they learned that a 91-year-old Salina woman was attempting to borrow money to pay for what she thought were sweepstakes fees in order to rake in a fortune.

Officers learned that the Salina woman had been told by phone Oct. 14 by a woman claiming to be the general manager of a publishing company that she had won $10 million in a contest. The woman was told she would receive $1.945 million monthly from October through February 2011, Capt. Mike Sweeney said, and then would be paid $1 million a month from March to July 2011.

Sweeney said the victim was told that she first had to pay processing and paperwork fees. The woman sent $1,500 to an address in Baltimore, Md., Sweeney said, and then provided her Bank of America account information. She began depositing money into the account, which was then transferred by wire.

"The victim was given a secret confirmation number to ensure safe deposit of her money," Sweeney said. "Most transactions took place by depositing money into her Bank of America account and having it wired."

Between Oct. 15 and Oct. 28, Sweeney said, the woman lost a total of $44,500.

"It's a common scheme," Sweeney said.

He wouldn't say how much money the woman was attempting to borrow Friday from the Sunflower Bank at 2070 S. Ohio.

Sweeney said the schemes normally originate overseas, making them difficult to investigate.

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