By Kerry Scott
Every day, many people become victims of illegal lottery scams. Perpetrators are counting on potential victims having a “something for nothing” mentality, and/or the innocence of the victims such as the elderly. Healthy skepticism should be used in evaluating whether or not a proposed “deal” is legitimate or not.
Lottery scams are prevalent both inside the United States and in other countries. These illegal enterprises earn hundreds of millions of dollars a year by stealing from greedy and innocent people. If you receive letters, phone calls or emails that promise instant lottery prizes, you can be sure that a crooked business is trying to get your money! The same is true if you visit an Internet Web site that makes similar promises. These criminals offer wonderful things BECAUSE THEY WANT YOUR MONEY! They want your cash, credit cards and your personal information. Don’t be fooled.
Some of the methods used include asking you to keep your win confidential until the prize is deposited into your account; or you may be told to act very quickly or the prize will be forfeited. They will most likely ask you for a fee or your credit card number to guarantee a lottery prize or to get a set of winning numbers. It is often difficult or impossible to get your money back from the people who operate these scams because they constantly close shops and re-establish their scams elsewhere. Prosecuting these businesses requires cooperation between our government and foreign governments and that of various law enforcement agencies. In addition to the risk of falling victim to a lottery scam, purchasing or selling lottery tickets by phone, email or regular mail across US borders violates federal law. Don’t let anyone steal your life’s savings by making false promises to you.
How can you protect yourself? Below are some recommendations for protecting yourself against lottery scams:
- Never give out your bank account number so that a prize can be wired to your account. The purpose of requesting this information is to wipe out your bank account.
- Never accept a collect phone call from someone claiming to be a lottery official. Legitimate lotteries do not call collect.
- Never believe a letter, phone call or Internet message from someone who guarantees you a prize!
- Beware of prize notices for a contest that you never entered.
- Legitimate lotteries do not guarantee that you will win a prize and do not require people to join “prize pools” to play.
- Never trust someone who says that you can win the lottery by purchasing a set of “winning numbers” instead of a ticket.
- Legitimate lotteries require you to buy a ticket for a chance to win a prize.
- Never play a foreign lottery by phone, mail or Internet. It is against the law and increases your risk of falling victim to a scam.
- Legitimate lotteries do not require winners to pay anything upfront to receive a prize.
The only lottery that is legally authorized to operate in the District of Columbia is the DC Lottery. If you receive materials, phone calls or emails from suspicious businesses or if you are ever in doubt about a lottery solicitation, call the DC Lottery Security Department at (202) 645-8080 or our hotline number at (202) 645-9009.
By exercising common sense and arming yourself with the right information, you should be able to avoid becoming a victim of a lottery scam. Remember, “if it sounds too good to be true,” it probably is. Legitimate lotteries offer fun, excitement, prizes in its games, and operate with integrity and honesty. We urge you to play to win legally, not to lose illegally! Have a Winning Day!
Kerry Scott is the chief of security at the DC Lottery and Charitable Games Control Board. For more information, contact the agency at 2101 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20020-5731. Phone: (202) 645-9250 or visit the Lottery's website.