Concerned about lottery scams?
Lottery scams are on the increase. At Lotteries.com, we’re particularly concerned, as scam emails have been
circulating containing a link to our site. We have not given any consent to this use of our site, and want to do our
utmost to protect our visitors from scams.
Therefore, we’ve created this page. We want to provide you with the information you need to recognize a lotto scam
and stay clear of any fraudulent operators.
Scammers will use the telephone, faxes, email, and cell phone (mobile) text messages as means to connect with victims.
And they can be very persuasive.
How can you protect yourself?
Understand how lotto scams work
Lottery scams follow a definite pattern. In almost every case, you’ll be contacted with the news that you’ve
won a lottery prize. What happens next, though, is what separates a scam from a legitimate offer: you’ll be asked
to send in money before your prize can be released to you.
Be skeptical of winning claims. Learn the scam warning signs.
The seven lottery scam warning signs
What follows is a list of seven lotto scam warning signs along with a brief explanation of why you should be suspicious
of each one.
If one or more of these signs below is present, you should be on your guard:
 |
| 1. |
You receive a message stating that
you’ve won a lottery prize, but you’ve never purchased a ticket for that lottery.
It’s impossible to win a lottery you haven’t entered. (But if you have purchased a ticket on the
lottery that you’re told you’ve won, be certain that sign number 2, below, isn’t present.) |
|
| 2. |
You’re required to pay a fee before
your winnings can be released to you. You may be told this fee is to cover taxes, administration or legal costs.
Often, you’ll be instructed to forward this money by wire transfer.
A legitimate lottery operator will never require you to pay money to them (other than what you pay to purchase a
ticket) as a condition of collecting a prize. Scammers will usually ask you to forward money by wire transfer
because doing so makes it difficult to trace. |
|
| 3. |
You receive a message informing you that
you’ve won, accompanied by what appears to be a valid cheque. You’re told that it’s a “partial
payment” of your winnings... but that you must cash the cheque and return the amount to the sender (to
cover “fees” like those mentioned in sign number 2, above) before they can release the rest of your
prize money.
The cheque you’ve received is a counterfeit. Unfortunately, it could take your bank up to six weeks to
discover this. By that time, you’ll already have sent the money on to the scammers... and you’ll be
liable to your bank for the full amount. |
|
| 4. |
You’re required to “prove your
identity” by forwarding copies of personal documents like your passport, driver’s licence,
and/or your bank account information.
Identity and banking information is like gold to scammers. They can use it to access your bank account or steal
your identity.
Remember, if you haven’t actually entered the lottery that they claim you’ve won, you
can’t win a prize and therefore you should not provide any personal information. |
|
| 5. |
You’re told that if you don’t
claim your prize by a specific date – usually within a few weeks or only just days – you’ll
forfeit it.
Scammers use tight deadlines to pressure you into acting quickly. |
|
| 6. |
You’re given no valid address for
the company – only a phone number (usually a cell phone number).
Withholding location information is the scammers’ way of hiding. Scammers tend to use cell phones to keep
their location secret. However, some scam messages will state an address. Be aware that this address is likely
not genuine. |
|
| 7. |
You’re asked to keep your win
confidential until after you’ve received
your prize.
Asking you to stay quiet is a tactic scammers use to protect themselves until they’ve got your money from you.
Legitimate lottery operators do not require winners to stay silent until their prize has been awarded. |
|
Let us help you
Remember, if you’ve truly won a prize, you should not be required to pay out money to receive it.
Lotteries.com is committed to helping you stay safe from lotto scams. If you receive a message that uses the name
Lotteries.com but contains any of the warning signs above, please do not hesitate to contact us
at info@lotteries.com.
We’re here to help you!
|
 CLOSE WINDOW
|
