An official looking letter with the Publishers Clearing House's logo and check for $4,700 excited 67-year-old Margaret Smith of Pittsburgh.

She said, "I thought, oh my goodness. How could they pick my name out of all those people?"

Her cousin was a bit more suspicious as the envelope and stamp were from Canada.

Also, Pittsburgh was missing the letter h, and there was barely a scribble on the check's signature line.

Smith's cousin called a contact number on the letter and was told nothing can happen until Smith cashes the check. The person on the other end of the phone said Smith would win a million dollars after cashing the check. Both Smith and his cousin then knew it was a scheme.

The official Publishers Clearing House Web site warns to beware of fake checks. Even though the check is bogus, if you deposit the check, the money may be available to you for a short time. Under federal law, banks make the funds you deposit available quickly, usually within one to five days, depending on the type of check. But just because you can withdraw the money doesn't mean the check is good. It can take weeks for the forgery to be discovered and the check to bounce. Scam artists hope that if you believe the check is real, you'll be willing to send them money back.

Smith has reported the scam to the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Postal Service and Publishers Clearing House.