A postcard promised millions — but the real surprise came when a locksmith showed up at her door, sent by scammers in a relentless sweepstakes scam.

By the end, a retired nun from Wheeling, Illinois, tells NBC Chicago's NBC 5 Responds her life savings were gone.

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If you haven’t heard of Publisher's Clearing House giveaways, they used to be a big deal. In old commercials, you’d see a crew burst from a van with balloons and a giant check, knocking on doors and surprising unsuspecting, often elderly people with millions of dollars.

Rene Pientka, 80, knew all about the old-school sweepstakes giant. So when the retired nun received a notice in the mail that she’d won $10 million and a new car, she wanted to believe it.

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