Credit experts remind Long Island residents this holiday season that when it comes to offers in the mail, nothing in life is free.

Consumer watchdogs say to be wary of letters claiming the recipient has won money. They state these lotteries, mostly from abroad, are after a person's credit and financial information. According to credit experts, lotteries send fake checks and convince people to wire back money to pay for phony taxes and fees on their supposed winnings.

Martin Merta, of Sound Beach, received a letter congratulating him on winning $120,000 from an Amsterdam sweepstakes. Merta says the company sounded legitimate when he called to check up on the offer. Despite how it may sound over the phone, consumer advocates maintain a person's financial information should be kept private due to the amount of fraudulent offers that exist.