Powerball Scams to Avoid | Weekend Read

Each weekend, we share stories driving interest beyond one town:

Lottery Scams Increase as Jackpots Climb

Adriana and her friend had the kind of problem we all dream of, particularly when huge lottery jackpots fill the headlines. Adriana's friend had a winning lottery ticket, but she wasn't in the country legally.

At least, that's how the complicated flimflam began last week. In the end, "Adriana" and her friend bilked a Georgia woman out of $2,800 in cash.

As a country, we're increasingly suspicious of each other. Candy from strangers? No, thanks. A surprise inheritance from Abu Dhabi, via email? Delete. But the opportunity to get a piece of a big lottery prize, or even to assist in someone else's good fortune. That's a scam we'll walk into with the best of intentions.

Lottery scams are among the most popular schemes, according to the Better Business Bureau. And they spike the morning after a big jackpot drawing, like the nearly half-billion Powerball prize Saturday night. >>> Read more.

More:

• Lottery Winner's 'Unwise' Investment: Millions Of Dollars In Meth
• Winning Powerball Numbers Saturday Worth $478 Million

Georgia News Anchor Dies Falling Over Waterfall

A Georgia news anchor fell to her death after being swept over a waterfall while vacationing in North Carolina. Taylor Terrell, 24, was a morning news anchor for 41NBC in Macon.

Terrell was wading in a stream that flows over Rainbow Falls in Transylvania County when she lost her footing and was swept over the falls by the current. >>> Read more.

Waze, GDOT Team Up For Real-Time Traffic Program

The Georgia Department of Transportation has entered into a data-sharing partnership with Waze, the popular crowd-sourced traffic navigation app powered by the world's largest community of motorists.

Designed as a free, two-way data share of publicly available traffic information, the Connected Citizens Program provides real-time, anonymous, Waze-generated incident and slow-down information to Georgia DOT directly from drivers. >>> Read more.

Legendary Cartoonist Jack Davis Dies

Jack Davis, the legendary cartoonist known as much in Georgia for his University of Georgia Bulldogs caricatures as for his work in Mad Magazine and elsewhere, died Wednesday, the university announced. He was 91.

Davis, an Atlanta native who attended UGA on the G.I. Bill after his service in the Navy, endeared himself to Bulldogs fans over the years with his drawings, often depicting a bulldog pummeling an opponent's mascot or celebrating a UGA victory. >>> Read more.