An elderly Butler County man lost several thousand dollars in an apparent lottery scam earlier this month, authorities said.

In an unrelated swindle two weeks later, a northern Butler County woman lost more than $2,000. State police are investigating both cases of theft by deception.

Troopers said an unknown caller conned a 90-year-old Winfield Township man on Oct. 8 into believing he had won $1 million.

According to a police report, the thief “made several calls encouraging (the victim) to send cash totaling $5,000 to various addresses to which he complied.”

Police later learned of another suspected fraud that targeted a 32-year-old Cherry Township woman. She reported Oct. 22 receiving a call from someone claiming to represent Butler County Court.

The caller told the woman that she owed $2,206, and “if she did not pay immediately, the price would increase,” a police report said.

The victim, investigators said, paid the money to a bogus law firm calling itself “Jackson and Associates Law Group.”

Police had no other details.