They told a Fremont woman they’d just won the lottery and needed her help. A few minutes later she was $20,000 poorer

A car full of people convinced a woman to go in their car to withdraw $20,000 in cash.

Here’s a little public service announcement: If someone tells you they just won the lottery but needs your help collecting the money, don’t hand them $20,000 in cash for nothing more than a promise that they’ll return.

Police in Newark have opened an investigation because a local woman learned that lesson the hard way. It all started on the afternoon of Feb. 28, when she was approached by a group of people in a vehicle who told her they just won $1 million through the lottery but there was a hangup and they needed her help.

The suspects told her that due to some procedural hangup, they needed to provide $20,000 in cash in order to collect the $1 million in winnings, but that her generosity would be repaid to the tune of $500,000. The woman was apparently so eager she willingly got into their car, drove with them to a Wells Fargo bank in Newark, and withdrew the cash, according to authorities.

The suspects then dropped her off at a nearby CVS and left her there with a promise to return with her half of the winnings. She waited, and waited, and waited, until eventually realizing they — and her money — were never coming back, authorities said.

Police have not announced any arrests.