This entry in our Truth vs. Myth series is both a warning and a check of your lottery know-how.
If someone contacts you out of the blue on social media, sends you an email or text message, or even mails you a letter saying you’ve won a big lottery prize, should you believe them?
The short answer is no. Be vigilant! It’s almost certainly a scam.
Here are additional details to help.
Lottery Scam Attempts Happen All The Time
We see lottery scam attempts nearly every day. They’re an important reminder that we all need to protect ourselves and our personal information.
Sometimes, scammers post comments directly on the Iowa Lottery’s social media pages asking people to contact them about a prize. We block those comments as soon as we can, but we know more will come.
In other cases, members of the public have contacted us after getting a text message, email, or letter that made them suspicious.
Many scammers use the names of popular lottery games like Mega Millions® or Powerball® and claim that you’ve won a big prize. Other times, the scammers pretend to be past lottery winners and say they’re giving away a portion of their prize money.
NEVER Pay Money Up Front For A So-Called Prize
We know it can be tempting. Who doesn’t want to win big?
But it’s important to remember these simple truths: No Powerball or Mega Millions prizes are randomly awarded. And we’ve never heard of actual past lottery winners deciding to randomly give away part of their winnings.
Likewise, never believe someone who says they can guarantee you a prize. You’re taking a chance when you play the lottery, and you’re not guaranteed to win.
And, most importantly, if you are asked to pay money up front, it’s definitely a scam. Legitimate lotteries never require winners to pay processing fees, insurance or anything else before they receive their prize.
Other Ways To Be Vigilant
The folks who have reached out to us after they received a suspicious message absolutely did the smart thing. First and foremost, they didn’t fall for the scammers’ claims. And second, they contacted us to report what happened and verify that it was a scam.
The scary part is that for every person who contacts us, there are so many more who also have been contacted by scammers and may have fallen victim.
Protect yourself by never giving out your personal information to strangers.
And remember, if you didn’t buy a ticket or enter a lottery promotion, there’s no way you could have won.
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