Complaint Spotlight: Fake Lottery Winnings

DATCP recently received a complaint from a consumer who was targeted with an attempted lottery scam. Every year, DATCP receives reports of these and similar scams – and wants to warn consumers they are getting more elaborate and convincing.

The scammer sent a formal, legitimate-looking letter to the consumer, which included a fake “non-cashable sample check” for over $16,000 in an attempt to gain the consumer’s trust. The letter explained that the consumer had been automatically entered in the lottery by making a credit card purchase at a “participating grocery store or gas station,” resulting in them winning over $1 million to be distributed in monthly increments… “after fees have been paid.”

The letter asked the consumer to call a phone number, warning that after failed attempts to reach them by phone, the letter itself was the final notice before their account was canceled and their winnings were lost. In order to access the winnings, they would need to pay over $10,000 in fake taxes and fees. The consumer was asked to keep their fake winnings a secret for “security and media release purposes.”

Here’s what you need to know. A prize is a prize – you do not need to pay money to receive it. Be suspicious of any claims that you won a lottery you did not sign up for. And, no matter how real a lottery letter may look, always do your research and verify claims independently before believing it. Don’t let a scammer use high-pressure tactics like deadlines or “final notices” to steal your money