A 69-year-old Manchester woman, who was told repeatedly in telephone calls from July 20 to July 26 that she was the winner of a $150,000 sweepstakes prize, lost $8,600 to a scam artist last week, according to state police.

The woman, whose name was not released, told investigators she received a daily call at her home from a man identifying himself as Carl Williams, an attorney in Las Vegas.

He told her he was resolving a bankruptcy claim for a mail sweepstakes company called CMCD, police said.

She told police the caller said he was holding two checks made out to her, for a total of $150,000, as her share of the winnings and that to claim the cash prizes, she must wire $4,300 for each prize check through Western Union to a man named Albert Colbert in Atlanta.

Officials said the woman wired the money July 26 and that the telephone calls immediately stopped.

She received no money and called police after realizing she had been victimized, police said.

Carroll State's Attorney Thomas E. Hickman said his office and the FBI are trying to determine who made the calls and who in Atlanta took the money from Western Union.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have received similar calls to contact Cpl. Ed Fox at 876-8989.