Hawaii County police are warning the public about a growing mail scam.

Police said today that members of the public have received mail from a supposed sweepstakes claiming the recipient has won a large sum of money.

In one instance, a resident received a check for $4,810 from "Ambassador International World Sweepstakes." The resident was asked to deposit the check and then send the cash back to the company so the company could send a larger cash prize.

The check, which misspelled the word "special," was from "Don Stewart Association Spacial Account, P.O. Box 2960, Phoenix, AZ 85062."

It was blue and about 9 1/2 inches long by 4 1/2 inches wide.

Police warn the public that if they receive such a check, they should not cash or deposit it. Instead, they may call the Police Department's nonemergency line at 808-935-3311.