ialottery blog

Be Aware: We’re Hearing About Scam Attempts Nearly Every Day

For whatever the reason – maybe it’s a hold-over effect from this summer’s giant jackpots – we’re hearing nearly every day about lottery scam attempts. It’s an important signal that we all need to protect ourselves and our personal information.

In some instances, we’re seeing scam attempts directly through our social media channels. In other cases, members of the public have contacted us after seeing something that made them suspicious.

The folks who reached out to us 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 could be so many more who also have been contacted by scammers and may have fallen victim. And even some of those who reach out to us want to believe the scammers so badly.

Many of the scams bogusly use the names of popular lottery games such as Mega Millions® and Powerball®. And we know it can be tempting. Who doesn’t want to dream that they’ve won big?

But it’s important to know these simple truths: Games like Mega Millions and Powerball are sold only in the United States, and the ONLY way to win prize in them is to purchase a ticket from a licensed retail location and then match some or all of the winning numbers for that specific drawing.

There are no random Powerball or Mega Millions prizes awarded anywhere in the world simply based on telephone numbers, email addresses or social media accounts. Scammers also often impersonate lottery winners and claim to be randomly giving away a portion of their prize money. Those instances also aren't real.

And, most importantly, there is NEVER a fee to claim a real lottery prize. If you are asked to pay money, it is a scam.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has great details on its Consumer Advice page about the warning signs of fake prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries. The page includes tips for reporting a scam if you’ve been targeted or have been a victim.

Here in our state, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office has a Consumer Protection Division that can help.

But the very best thing that any of us can do is to remain vigilant and continue to protect ourselves.

Social Media Scams: The Latest From Experts About How To Protect Yourself

We’ve been warning about scam attempts for years, and this week, national experts weighed in about some of the latest fakes they’re seeing that have cost victims millions of dollars in losses.

The “TODAY” show spoke with the FBI about social media scams in particular, and the ways you can protect yourself by learning to identify fake accounts. Some of those scammers have used the names of lotteries, lottery games, and lottery officials in their attempts to separate people from their money.

We keep reminders about lottery scams as a permanent feature on our website to arm you with information that can help. Check out our Player Security section to learn more.

Scam Reminder: Stay Vigilant, Protect Yourself!

We saw a warning on social media this week about scams, and decided it’s time for another reminder from us, too. (Shout out to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office for its Facebook post!)

The sheriff’s office started its post this way: “Scams, scams, scams. Every day, we hear of new scams.”

And unfortunately, it’s the same thing here at the Iowa Lottery. As annoying as it is to even write this, scam operations are a common part of our world today. And some of them drag lotteries’ names and products into the mix.

We’ve seen scam attempts that claim to be from the Iowa Lottery and some of us who work here or allegedly are from the organizers of our biggest games, like Powerball® and Mega Millions®.

We’ve warned about lottery-related scams for years, noting that they come in any different forms: letters, telephone calls, emails, text messages, and social media messages. We’ve heard lately from Iowans who say they’re getting phone calls from someone with a definite Caribbean accent. The scammer wants those contacted to pay a “processing fee” up front to receive their promised winnings.

It’s a scam. And anyone who sends money to the scammers will never see those funds again, nor will they ever receive the promised winnings.

We know it can be tempting to go along with it. Who doesn’t want to dream that they’ve won a big prize? But please keep these details in mind if you’re ever contacted about winning the lottery: 

• If someone says that you've won a big prize, stop and ask yourself this question: Did I buy a ticket or enter that contest? If you didn't, it's likely a scam.
• Never pay processing fees, insurance or commissions to claim a lottery prize. Legitimate lotteries do not require winners to pay anything up front to receive a prize.
• Never believe a letter, phone call or Internet message from someone who claims they can guarantee you a prize. Legitimate lotteries do not guarantee that you will win and do not require you to join a prize pool to play.
• And remember that in here in our state, the Iowa Lottery is the only lottery authorized under state law. 

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office advises you to report suspected scam calls to the FCC Consumer Complaint Center. The AG also says to consider using call-blocking apps and other services to reduce the number of robocalls you receive.

The best thing any of us can do is to be vigilant and continue to protect ourselves.

Scam Alert: Uptick In Lottery Scams Being Reported

Investigators are warning of a current increase in lottery-related scams, with many of the calls apparently originating out of Jamaica.

Scam operations unfortunately are a common part of our world today, and some of them drag lotteries’ names and products into the mix. This latest wave of scams apparently promises that you’ve won a prize in the so-called Mega Millions Sweepstakes. Sometimes people are told they’ve won a jackpot, other times it’s a new luxury vehicle. There is no Mega Millions Sweepstakes, by the way. Mega Millions® is lotto game with drawings twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays, but there is no sweepstakes associated with it.

We’ve warned about lottery-related scams for years, noting that they’ve involved many different forms: letters, telephone calls, emails, text messages, and social media contacts. In the current phone calls, those contacted say the caller has a definite Caribbean accent. And the scammers want those contacted to pay a “processing fee” up front to receive their promised winnings.

It’s a scam. And anyone who sends money to the scammers will never see those funds again, nor will they ever receive the promised winnings.

Please keep these details in mind if you’re ever contacted about winning a lottery prize:

• If someone says that you've won a big prize, stop and ask yourself this question: Did I buy a ticket or enter that contest? If you didn't, it's likely a scam.
• Never pay processing fees, insurance or commissions to claim a lottery prize. Legitimate lotteries do not require winners to pay anything up front to receive a prize.
• Never believe a letter, phone call or Internet message from someone who claims they can guarantee you a prize. Legitimate lotteries do not guarantee that you will win and do not require you to join a prize pool to play.
• And remember that in here in our state, the Iowa Lottery is the only lottery authorized under state law. 

The Attorney General’s Office advises you to report suspected scam calls to the FCC Consumer Complaint Center. The AG also says to consider using call-blocking apps and other services to reduce the number of robocalls you receive.

And please remember that while the current scam-related telephone calls are getting attention, there are likely other types of scams underway. The best thing you can do is to be vigilant and protect yourself.

Police: Don’t Fall For The Call/Email/Text That You’ve Won A Lottery Jackpot

This central Iowa news coverage is such an important reminder about scams, particularly the fact that they’re on the rise this time of year. As the Nevada police officer says in this interview with WOI-TV, if something seems too good to be true, it is.

Here at the Iowa Lottery, we keep Player Security reminders -- including warnings about lottery scams -- as a permanent feature on the lottery’s website. If you ever have a question about whether something you’re contacted about is legitimate, please check out our reminders, or better yet, contact us in person. We’ll be glad to talk with you and answer any questions you may have.  

Bottom line, remember that if you win a lottery jackpot, we don’t call to let you know that. The process works the opposite way: You as the player with the winning ticket contact us at the lottery to claim the prize.

We have the records showing that a winning ticket has been sold at a particular retail location and the prize amount involved, but we don’t know who the winner is until you present the winning ticket to us at Iowa Lottery headquarters.

Scams Continue To Skyrocket, Officials Remind You To Protect Yourself

We’ve been warning about scams for years, and new statistics show that the situation has only gotten worse.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller joined a coalition of 42 attorneys general this week in calling on the Federal Communications Commission to take more action to stop the growing number of illegal robocalls and number spoofing.

The AGs are urging the FCC to adopt rules on enforcement against caller ID spoofing on calls to the United States from outside our country. They also want the FCC to address spoofing in text messaging.

The AGs say that the number of spoofed calls and victims' financial losses associated with those scams have increased by nearly 50 percent in recent years. In 2018 alone, Americans received nearly 18 billion scam robocalls.

Some of those scams are by criminals who claim that they’re lottery officials. They typically will promise that you’ve won a big prize and say you’ll receive if you first pay them a “processing fee” or sales commission in advance. But the prize is fake, and if you send them money, you’ll never see it again.

Our video above shares more details about the scams and how to protect yourself. The AG’s Office advises you to report suspected scam calls to the FCC Consumer Complaint Center. The AG also says to consider using call-blocking apps and other services to reduce the number of robocalls you receive.

Fake ‘Terry Rich’ Account Shut Down

In a reminder that we all need to be vigilant and double-check the information we find online, we’ve just had a fake “Terry Rich” account shut down on Facebook. We’ve unfortunately seen this type of thing before, but the good news is that in most instances, it’s easy to report imposter pages or accounts and get them shut down.

In this latest instance, a Facebook page popped up in our feeds that appeared to be an account for Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich, but several of the details involved were wrong. The page, for example, stated that Terry lives in Washington, D.C., which obviously isn’t the case. It would be a tad difficult to live in D.C. and come to work every day at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive! 

So we followed Facebook’s process to report a fake page and ask that it be shut down. And we’re glad to say the process worked: That account is no longer live.

A few years ago, there also was a fake “Mary Neubauer” page out there, and it was pretty blatant in its scam attempt. Whoever had set up that page was sending direct messages on Facebook using my name. The message stated that the recipient had won a lottery jackpot and that in order to claim the prize, they needed to get a money card and then give “Mary Neubauer” the numbers on the card. (I suppose the further explanation was that the prize money would be sent to the money card. But in reality, I believe that the scammers planned to bilk the victim by cleaning out any money on the card.)
    
We also reported that page as fake at the time and got it shut down.

We've given reminders for years about the dangers of lottery scams. And, scam attempts through the years have unfortunately involved the names of several different lottery officials.

The lottery scammers are nearly impossible to trace or stop. In most instances, they operate from outside the United States using mobile operations that spoof I.P. addresses, telephone numbers and physical locations. The best thing that any of us can do is to remain vigilant and protect ourselves. NEVER send someone money who promises you a lottery prize, and NEVER share online personally-identifying information such as your Social Security number or bank account information.

We keep reminders that can help on the Player Security section of our website. Please check out those details and share them with anyone who wonders whether something they see is real or a scam.

Scam Reminder: You Won’t Get A ‘Robo-Call’ If You Win The Lottery

 

It seems like we’re all getting more and more robo-calls these days, and some of those automated voices are telling people that they’ve won the lottery. I can’t say it strongly enough: That’s a scam. Don’t fall for it.

If you win the lottery, you tell us that you’ve won by presenting us with the winning ticket, not the other way around. The video here provides a lot of important reminders to protect yourself.

New Round Of Lottery Scams Hitting In Iowa

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A new round of lottery scams appears to be hitting in Iowa right now. Our regional offices in Mason City and Cedar Rapids have both gotten multiple calls and in-person visits over the past few days from people who say they’ve been contacted about winning a Powerball® prize. The callers were cautious, thinking it was a scam – and they’re right.

The scammers appear to be using a couple different approaches: Some of the folks who contacted us said they’d received an email that asked them to respond with a text. Others said they’d received a text asking them to respond with their personal information in an email.

One of the messages put the scam attempt this way: Your Number has Won $420,000.00, from Powerball Lotto. Kindly send, your Full Name, Address, Age and Tel No; to Taylor Robert via email.

(I purposefully included the numerous punctuation errors that were in the message so you could see them.)  

Here’s the thing to remember when it comes to contacts like this: When you buy a Powerball ticket, we don’t know your identity. We can tell that the ticket has been purchased, but we don’t know that you’re the person who bought it. So, how could we contact you to tell you in advance that you’ve won a prize? You contact us and present your winning ticket to claim a prize, not the other way around. As I say in the video above, you really can’t have won if you didn’t play.

One other note about the particular scam message above: $420,000 is NOT one of the prize levels in Powerball, so that’s not even an amount you can win in the game. 

Protect yourself. Be on the look-out for scams. And NEVER give out your personal information over the telephone or via email or text. Please check out our Player Security reminders for further information.

New Twist In Scam Attempts

It seems like scam attempts have become a fact of life these days, but from the latest reports coming our way, some scammers are taking a slight twist in their approach.

We’ve heard from folks in the last week who all have received text messages claiming that they’ve won a big prize, or should enter a contest for a chance to win. In all of the instances, the scammers asked for the individual’s personally-identifying information – something you should never give out online for personal security purposes.

We’ve seen scams in the past that utilized telephone calls, letters and email, so we’re not surprised to see text messages in play as well. But it does appear to be a new twist. Scam operations are nearly impossible to trace and shut down because they generally are based outside the United States. You can have the most impact in thwarting their efforts by being alert and protecting yourself.

If someone contacts you and says you’ve won a big prize, ask yourself this basic question: Did I buy a ticket or enter that contest? If you didn’t, it’s likely a scam.

We have an entire section on our website dedicated to Player Security reminders, but here are a few quick highlights to remember:

• Keep your credit card, bank account and Social Security information private. Scam artists will often ask for them with the goal of accessing your accounts and stealing your money!
• Never pay processing fees, insurance or commissions to claim a lottery prize. Legitimate lotteries do not require winners to pay anything up front to receive a prize.
• Never believe a letter, phone call or Internet message from someone who claims they can guarantee you a prize. Legitimate lotteries do not guarantee that you will win a prize and do not require you to join a prize pool to play.

THEY'RE FAKE! Jackpot Scams On Facebook Are Back

It’s been about a year since the last time we saw them, but be aware that scams on Facebook involving the Powerball® and Mega Millions® names are back.

If there is any good news in the situation, it’s that a lot of people have reached out to us to say they saw the posts – and they knew they were scams. So, I hope that the warnings we issued last year had an impact.

I’ll say it again now: Protect yourself by staying away from the scams. Don’t click on the links involved!

The scammers are using some glitzy graphics to catch your attention, mocking up what appears to be an oversized, ceremonial check for $1 million, with a headline promising that Powerball or Mega Millions is “giving away a free $1 million jackpot online instantly.” We’ve seen several different versions of the scams linking to various website addresses. In any case, they’re fake. Please don’t fall for them.

We’re working to get the scams shut down, but as I said, they appear to involve multiple links and website addresses. Those who have clicked on the links involved report that doing so caused their Facebook accounts to be hacked. And that, in turn, keeps spreading the scams to more and more accounts.

You’ve likely seen warnings from us through the years about scams, but this latest version is a good reminder that we all need to stay vigilant and protect ourselves. Remember that in order to win a prize in Powerball or Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket.

The scams may morph again before they’re done and target even more lottery games. So arm yourself with information. Take a moment to visit the Player Security reminders that we keep as a permanent item on the lottery’s website.

Player Security Tip Of The Day: Don’t Fall For Lottery Scams

 

Scammers continue to try their best to separate you from your hard-earned money, and one of the techniques they use involves impersonating lotteries.

Remember, the only lottery that can operate in Iowa is the Iowa Lottery. And unless you specifically enter an Iowa Lottery promotion or contest, we will never contact you to inform you that you’ve won a prize.

If you receive suspicious materials, telephone calls or e-mails or if you have questions about information that supposedly came from a lottery, call the Iowa Lottery and ask for our Security Division.

Here are some other tips to help you avoid lottery scams:

• If someone says that you’ve won a big prize, stop and ask yourself this question: Did I buy a ticket or enter that contest? If you didn’t, it’s likely a scam.
• Never pay processing fees, insurance or commissions to claim a lottery prize. Legitimate lotteries do not require winners to pay anything up front to receive a prize.
• Never believe a letter, phone call or Internet message from someone who claims they can guarantee you a prize. Legitimate lotteries do not guarantee that you will win a prize and do not require you to join a prize pool to play.

 

IT'S FAKE! Scams On Facebook Are Using Powerball & Mega Millions Names

A new round of scams is making the rounds on Facebook, and we want you to know about them so you can protect yourself. Stay away from them -- and don't click the links involved!

The scammers are using some glitzy graphics to catch your attention, mocking up what appears to be an oversized, ceremonial check for $1 million, with a headline promising that Powerball^® or Mega Millions^® is “giving away a free $1 million jackpot online instantly.” We’ve seen a few different versions of the scams linking to various website addresses. In any case, they’re fake. It’s a scam, so please don’t fall for it.

We haven’t clicked on the links involved because we were afraid of what the outcome would be, and it appears we were right to have those doubts. We’re seeing a lot of posts on Facebook from those who did click on the links and they’re reporting that doing so caused their accounts to be hacked. And that, in turn, keeps spreading the scams to more and more accounts.

You’ve likely seen warnings from us through the years about scams, but this latest version is a good reminder that we all need to stay vigilant and protect ourselves. Remember that in order to win a prize in Powerball or Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket.

The scams may morph again before they’re done and target even more lottery games. So arm yourself with information. Please take a moment to visit our reminders about Player Security, which we keep as a permanent item on the lottery’s website.

 

Don't Fall For Lottery Scams!

We can’t say this enough: Don’t fall for lottery scams!

We’ve received several inquiries this week from players asking if an email stating they won some Mega Millions prize money is legitimate. Guess what? These emails are fake, and are most likely a scam. Don’t fall for it!

Remember, in order to win a lottery prize you must first purchase a ticket from a licensed retail location in Iowa – you can’t win if you don’t play! And secondly, the lottery won’t contact you if you win a Mega Millions prize (or any other prize from a winning lottery ticket). It’s your responsibility as a player to sign your winning ticket and present it to a lottery retailer or lottery office to claim your prize.

The only time the Iowa Lottery will contact you is if you win a prize in one of our promotional drawings, like the first 30 Somethings drawings we conducted Thursday.

The best thing that any of us can do is to remain vigilant against scams and NEVER share our personally identifying information such as Social Security numbers or bank account information.

If you’re ever in doubt about information that supposedly came from a legitimate lottery, feel free to call us at 515.725.7900 and ask to speak with someone in our Security Division. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

FTC Warning About Scams

I’ve posted warning after warning through the years here on the blog about scammers who want nothing more than to separate you from your hard-earned money. The scammers have used the names of lottery games, lottery officials and even lottery winners to try to get you to believe them.

Now there’s a new warning about scams, and this time, the reminder comes from the Federal Trade Commission. If you get a letter saying that you won a sweepstakes and the FTC has investigated the situation to help you claim the prize, guess what? It’s fake. Don’t fall for it!

When you have a moment, visit the Player Security section on our website where we keep all sorts of reminders about how to protect yourself against fraud.

Can’t Say It Enough: Don’t Fall For Lottery Scams!

We’ve produced a new warning video about lottery scams as a follow-up to the latest blog entry I wrote about them last month. And it’s great to see other organizations joining in the push to spread the word about the dangers posed by scam artists. Thank you to the Better Business Bureau for its new video about lottery scams! Check it out here.  

The bottom line is: Protect yourself. Be on guard against scam artists and don’t fall for their tricks.

New Round Of Scams Being Reported

If you’ve followed the blog for a while, you know that I’ve posted warnings here several times about lottery scams. Well, a man who visited our Mason City office just reminded me that it’s likely time for another alert. We can never have too many reminders to keep things safe!

The man showed our Mason City staff a fax he had received. It contained a certificate appearing to bear witness to a $500,000 prize he’d won from the Iowa Lottery, along with what appeared to be a cashier’s check made out to him for that amount. Both the certificate and check had the Iowa Lottery’s logo on them. But there was just one catch. (And there’s always a catch with scammers, isn’t there?) During telephone calls with the man, the scammers said that in order for the prize to be processed, he needed to pay them a $649 fee. I have no idea why the scammers chose such a specific amount, but that’s what they said!

Obviously the fax did not come from the Iowa Lottery, and we assured the man of that. We also thanked him for bringing this latest scam attempt to our attention so we could warn others about it.

The folks in our Security Division researched the telephone number from which the fax originated and it definitely appears to have come from outside the United States. That makes it nearly impossible to trace, a frustrating situation we’ve often found through the years.        

The lottery scams we’ve seen have taken many different forms: Some have used the names of legitimate lotteries, others have used the names of legitimate lottery games such as Powerball® and Mega Millions®, and still others have “borrowed” the names of actual lottery officials in an attempt to give themselves the appearance of legitimacy. In most instances, the scammers are able to mask themselves by spoofing I.P. addresses, telephone numbers and physical locations.

The best thing that any of us can do to protect ourselves is to remain vigilant against scams and NEVER share our personally-identifying information such as Social Security numbers or bank account information. Remember that the only way you can win a prize from the Iowa Lottery is if you've bought a ticket at a licensed retail location in Iowa and you can present the ticket to us.

We keep a Player Security section as a permanent feature on our website, so please review the details there to learn more.

If you ever get suspicious letters, telephone calls or e-mails about a lottery game, or if you're in doubt about information that supposedly came from a legitimate lottery, feel free to give us a shout at 515.725.7900 and ask to speak with someone in our Security Division. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Facebook Scam Involving Powerball And "Mary Neubauer"

There's a new twist on lottery scams making the rounds, and this time it's being done on Facebook. And it involves my name.

In short, if you receive a direct message on Facebook from "Mary Neubauer" informing you that you've won Powerball, please know that it's a scam and you should protect yourself by not responding to it. Here's the background:

Last week, we received an inquiry on the Iowa Lottery's Facebook page from an Iowa woman and I received a telephone call at my desk from a New Mexico woman who both relayed similar details. They said they had received a direct message on Facebook from Mary Neubauer, the president of Powerball in Iowa City, telling them that they'd won the jackpot and that to claim the prize, they needed to get a money card and then give Mary Neubauer the numbers on the card. (I suppose the explanation would be that the prize money would be sent to the money card? And I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that the scammers planned to bilk the victim by cleaning out any money on the card?)

One of the women also said that two of "Mary Neubauer's assistants" had been calling her, trying to get her purchase a money card and give them the numbers.

A quick review of the facts so far:

1. My name is Mary Neubauer.
2. I am not the president of Powerball.
3. The Powerball game isn't based in Iowa City.
4. And unlike what the fake Facebook profile claims, I am not from Iowa City and I didn't go to Iowa City West High School. Not that I have anything against Iowa City or Iowa City West High School.

Hey, you have to laugh about this stuff to a certain extent because it’s just so … sad. (And crazy.)

Both women who contacted us said they thought it was a scam and they wanted us to know about it. We have advised them that it definitely is a scam and they should protect themselves by not responding to it. Our Security Division also is looking into the matter and I have filed a report with Facebook that the “Mary Neubauer” profile is fake and should be shut down. I don’t know how long that will take or if it will actually happen, since it is not my page.

Check out the screenshot of the "Mary Neubauer" Facebook profile that we've included here! It's a pretty slick page, just as the other scams we've seen through the years have given the appearance of being official.

I wish I could say I'm surprised by this latest news, but unfortunately, I'm not. We've been working for years to remind people about the dangers of lottery scams. And, different iterations of scams through the years have involved the names of several different lottery officials.

The lottery scammers are nearly impossible to trace or stop. In most instances, they operate from outside the United States via mobile operations that spoof I.P. addresses, telephone numbers and physical locations. The best thing that any of us can do is to remain vigilant against scams and NEVER share our personally-identifying information such as Social Security numbers or bank account information.

If you're looking for more information, please visit the Player Security section on our website. We have security reminders there as a way to help protect folks against situations just like we’re seeing now.

Can’t Say It Enough: Beware Of Lottery Scams

We’ve been warning about it for years, but some recent examples in Delaware are a reminder to us all to be on the look-out for lottery scams.

Back in 2007, the lottery held a news conference with Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller to warn folks about the wave of lottery scams that were hitting at that time. The scams often involve counterfeit checks, fake letters, and promises of a prize that will be paid if you will just pay a few fees in advance. In the end, if you’re a victim, you lose your money -- often thousands of dollars.

Unfortunately, the scams haven’t stopped in the years since then. We get calls, e-mails and letters nearly every day from people ask about information they’ve received that clearly has come from scammers. We do our best  to warn them away from falling victim. 

Why is it so hard to stop the scams? The people behind them often operate from outside the United States and keep their operations on the move, making it almost impossible to track them. 

And why, you ask, do people fall for the scams? Well, everyone wants to think they’ve won, right? And the scammers can be extremely convincing.

The Delaware Lottery recently joined with the Attorney General in that state to issue a warning about an elaborate new scheme they were seeing in their area. Click here to read a media report about the issues there.

We keep on our website warnings about scams as well as general player security information that it’s good to know. Click here to go to our Player Security page. 

Be smart. Learn what you need to know to protect yourself against scams. And remember, if you didn’t buy a ticket, you did not win the lottery.

Beware Of Lottery Scams

We've been warning about lottery scams for a few years now, but every once in a while, we still get inquiries from folks who worry us because it appears they're about to fall for a scam.

I recently got an e-mail from a man in India who said he’d gotten an e-mail informing him he'd won $500,000 in Powerball. The man was ready to provide me with all of his personal information, and that's exactly what scammers are hoping for so they can separate victims from their hard-earned money.

I e-mailed the man back to warn him that it appeared he was about to fall for a scam. Neither Powerball nor the Iowa Lottery send out e-mails like he'd referenced. We only know you're a winner when you present us with your winning ticket, so there's no reason for us to contact you in advance.

And remember, the only way you can win a prize in Powerball is if you've bought a ticket at a licensed retailer in Iowa or one of the other states where the game is sold.

We keep a lot of security reminders and warnings on our Web site. Click here to go to our Player Security page. The Federal Trade Commission also provides important warnings about lottery scams. Click here to visit the FTC's site.

If you get suspicious letters, telephone calls or e-mails about a lottery game, or if you're ever in doubt about information that supposedly came from a legitimate lottery, call the Iowa Lottery at 515.725.7900 and ask for our Security Department.