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Two people called Gainesville Police last night saying they received suspicious letters claiming they've won the Canadian Lottery, accompanied by a check worth nearly $5,000. Gainesville Police spokesman Keith Kameg says it's part of a Canadian lottery scam, which targets random people in the area every 9 months to a year. The checks, however, come from U.S. businesses. The letter states that after the $5,000 check is cashed, the winners will receive more checks. Kameg says that when the checks are cashed, they bounce, and the victim's banking information is then forwarded to the thiefs, which can then be used for identity theft. Because an investigation in Canada would be expensive, Kameg says it's up to people to protect themselves.