A Brantford man lost tens of thousands of dollars to an online scammer claiming to be representing a lottery named after the founder of Facebook.

Brantford police say the 56-year-old man contacted them Thursday to report that he had been swindled out of $45,000.

The man told police he had been contacted over Facebook by a woman who said that he was one of five people randomly selected to win a supposed ‘Zuckerberg Lottery.’

The man was told he had won $4 million, but couldn’t get his prize until he first paid the taxes on it via Western Union.

Police say people should be cautious when told they have won big prizes, particularly for lotteries or contests they don’t remember entering.