A Harlingen woman is putting the Rio Grande Valley on notice. A company called "American Cashaward" kept calling and emailing her. They said she had won $32 million and a brand-new car. All she had to do was pay $5,000 up front to collect it.

She did not pay. And now she wants to make sure no one else does either.

Sue Groves said the calls and emails just kept coming.

"They kept calling. They kept emailing. And I said, 'Can you tell me why I have to pay money in advance on money I don't have?'" Groves said.

That question may have saved her from losing thousands of dollars.

The pitch sounds exciting. A giant check. A new car. Just one payment to unlock it all. Groves said she felt the pull of it.

"It's very tempting, but just try and use your common sense. Don't pay money upfront," Groves said.

She checked the company's email and found a Las Vegas address. Channel 5 News looked up that address. It does not exist.

The email also had the Better Business Bureau logo on it. The company claimed to be BBB accredited. That was also a lie. A search on the BBB website showed the company has an "F" rating. It is not accredited.

BBB Rio Grande Valley President Hilda Martinez said this is not the first time her office has heard about this company.

"There are numerous complaints against the company as well," Martinez said.

Martinez said her office has gotten five or six reports of similar scams over the past year.

Martinez also made the rule simple.

A real sweepstakes never makes you pay before you collect your prize. Never.

"If you have to pay money to get money, it's a scam," Groves said.

The BBB says it acts when companies fake its name or logo. It sends legal warning letters and takes companies to court when needed.

Scams like this target people across the country. But older adults and people in smaller cities can be hit especially hard. They may not know how to check if a company is real. The pressure of repeated calls can wear anyone down.

Here is what to know if someone contacts you with a prize offer:

A real prize does not need your money first. You do not have to pay taxes, fees, or any amount to get what you won. If they ask for money before you see a single dollar, hang up.

You can look up any company at bbb.org to check their rating and see if others have complained. A fake BBB logo on an email means nothing. The real BBB lets you search the actual records.

If you get a call or email like this, report it to the BBB at 1-800-564-0370. You can also report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov or call 1-877-382-4357.

Groves is glad she trusted her gut.

"Who does that? From a common-sense perspective, you never pay money or taxes or whatever for something you don't have," Groves said.

The Valley has good people who work hard for every dollar. Do not let a scammer take any of it.