AUSTIN -- Greg Abbott has joined yet another popular lawsuit bandwagon.

The Texas attorney general yesterday dived onto the growing pile of attorneys-general trying to snuff out so-called "foreign lottery scams" in their states. Abbott issued consumer warnings against such operators to kick off this week's "National Consumer Protection Week."

Abbott (R) wants to protect consumers, particularly "seniors," from what he termed the "President of Jamaica lottery scam." An 85-year-old Houston woman recently lost $16,000 after men posing as Jamaican government officials (including the president) convinced her she had won that country's lottery.

"Callers claiming to represent foreign lotteries are con artists who cannot be trusted," Abbott cautioned. "Texans who receive these calls should just hang up."

Several other ambitious attorneys general have targeted foreign lottery solicitations in recent weeks.

Jay Nixon (D) of Missouri last week announced 25 legal actions against "lottery scammers" that were also allegedly "targeting Missouri seniors."

Gary King of New Mexico recently noted a high frequency of "lottery scams" reported to his office last month, particularly in southern New Mexico.

And the problem has apparently become so prevalent in New Jersey that it will be a featured issue at this week's New Jersey Fraud Recognition, Education and Exposure Forum. "Foreign lotteries are what we're really trying to get people to avoid," said New Jersey Postal Inspector Ed Steed. "They're very tempting."

According to legal officials there are two versions of the foreign lottery scam. In one the perpetrators inform the target that they have won the jackpot in a foreign country's lottery. They then ask for taxes and fees up front before the winnings are released although no winnings are ever sent after payments are made.

In the second the perpetrators send the target a counterfeit check as an "advance" on winnings. The bank initially releases the funds but then the check bounces, leaving the recipient liable. This also sends the recipient's banking details back to perpetrators, who then gain access to their bank account.

Abbott's "President of Jamaica" lottery scam falls into the first category, whereas the one most common in New Jersey falls into the second.