WINONA, Minn. – Police began investigating a scam in which a caller portended to be from the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes company and told a Winona woman that she had won big. To claim the price, the caller said, it was necessary to open a $9,500 savings account to receive periodic cash payments. The victim’s bank alerted her to the possibility of a scam. The victim, said, Deputy Police Chief Jay Rasmussen, was able to recover thousands of dollars in cash payments, which, he noted, is unusual. Most scams originate overseas where U.S. authorities do not have jurisdiction, he said
