Be wary of those lottery scams — no, you probably didn’t win millions
With the holidays upon us, scammers are on the prowl, especially when it comes to lottery scams. Before you move forward with giving away personal information in exchange for your “won prize” think to yourself, is this a scam?
Lottery scams typically start when you receive a call, email or letter saying you won a sweepstakes, lottery or prize. They ask you to pay money or give them your account information to get the prize. If you pay, you’ll lose your money and find out there is no prize. The Better Business Bureau reported more than 460,000 Americans over the last three years have reported losing more than $330 million to lottery-related scams. Be sure you don’t fall victim to this scam.
BBB offers advice to avoid lottery scams:
Be wary of notifications mentioning you won a prize in a contest you don’t remember entering. Keep track of your sweepstakes entries so it’s easy to check if a legitimate contest-related company is confirming winnings. When entering, read the fine print and rules for how prizes are claimed. Remember, you can’t win a contest you never entered.
Consider it a red flag if you receive an unexpected check in the mail. Checks will bounce after the bank allows the account holder to withdraw cash from the deposit. You will be responsible for any funds withdrawn against the amount.
Be suspicious of texts or bulk mail. Real sweepstakes will not send a check in the mail without first confirming with you.
Never give out your personal information, such as credit card, bank or social security numbers, to strangers. Scammers may claim they need it to be able to deposit your prize.
Avoid clicking on links in e-mails or text messages from unfamiliar people or organizations.
Prizes are free. You should not have to pay to claim a prize or improve the chances of winning, including taxes and fees. It’s also illegal for someone to ask you to pay to increase your odds of winning.
Don’t give into high pressure tactics. Scammers often claim it’s a limited time offer or you have to act now.
Be wary of people claiming to be with the government demanding money so you can collect a prize. The government doesn’t operate in this way.
Scammers might pretend to be from well-known companies that run real sweepstakes. Contact the real company directly to find out the truth. And look up the real company’s contact information yourself.
If you believe you’ve been a victim of a lottery scam, report the matter to BBB Scam Tracker, BBB.org/ ScamTracker, or the Federal Trade Commission, ReportFraud.ftc. gov, and the attorney general. If the prize promotion came in the mail, report it to the US Postal Inspection Service.