Scammers may impersonate lottery officials or winners to steal personal information
Olympia, Wash. (November 13, 2024) – This Fraud Awareness Week (November 17-23), Washington’s Lottery is encouraging players to stay vigilant against lottery scams year-round. Fraudsters typically target individuals by falsely claiming players have won large prizes, posing as lottery officials, or pretending to be lottery winners who want to give away their prize to others.
In recent years, lottery scam reports have been on the rise nationwide, with scammers typically reaching out through emails, text messages, letters and phone calls asking for sensitive information or payments to claim a prize. It’s crucial for players to remember that Washington’s Lottery will never ask for payment to claim a prize or ask for personal banking information over the phone.
“We want our players to have fun and enjoy playing lottery games without worry of potential fraud, but it’s important that people know what to be on the lookout for,” said Joshua Johnston, Director of Washington’s Lottery. “We will never notify you that you’ve won a jackpot through text or email, nor will we ever ask for sensitive information like bank account details. If it feels suspicious, it probably is.”
What You Should Know:
- Washington’s Lottery does not sell tickets online. Tickets are only available for purchase in-person through authorized retailers.
- You must purchase a ticket or enter a drawing to be eligible to win. Any claim that you have won without doing so is likely a scam.
- The only time Washington’s Lottery may contact you directly about the fact that you have won a prize is if you have entered and won a second chance drawing or other promotional event. Even then, Lottery representatives will never ask for your financial information.
- If you have claimed your lottery prize at a Regional Office and expressed interest in sharing your story, a representative of Washington’s Lottery may contact you asking details about your win but will never ask for information about your finances.
- If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from Washington’s Lottery asking for payment or financial information, do not click on any links or provide any personal information. Contact Washington’s Lottery directly at (360) 810-2888 for assistance.
Common Lottery Scams:
- Email Scams: Scammers send fake emails with official-looking logos, urging you to click links or provide personal information.
- Telephone Scams: Fraudsters posing as lottery representatives call or text claiming you have won a prize but ask for processing fees or personal details.
- Social Media Scams: Scammers create fake social media profiles posing as recent lottery winners to gain your trust and trick you into sharing personal information.
- Letter Scams: Fraudulent letters with official-looking logos are sent out saying you have won a prize and need to provide personal information or payment in order to claim it.
- Foreign Lottery Scams: Criminals claim you have won a lottery prize from another country, which is illegal to participate in from the U.S.
If you think you have been targeted by a lottery scam, report the incident to local authorities immediately and contact Washington’s Lottery for assistance. For more information on identifying scams, visit walottery.com/Responsibility/ExamplesOfScams or contact Washington’s Lottery at (360) 810-2888.
Who Benefits
Since 1982, Washington’s Lottery has generated more than $5.3 billion to support several important state programs, including providing much-needed funds for the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account (WOPA). In FY23, WOPA received $199.9 million from the Lottery. Of this, $139.1 million helped fund the Washington College Grant, a financial aid program that supported more than 29,000 college students and apprentices across the state last year. Another $2.5 million helped fund the College Bound program to help eligible students attain a college or training degree or credential.
Washington’s Lottery Beneficiary Fact
Washington’s Lottery is proud to be a financial supporter of the Washington Student Achievement Council, which administers state financial aid programs. WSAC leads a variety of initiatives to increase educational opportunities for students, families, and educators across the state, with a particular focus on increasing equity by reaching communities of color and students from low-income families. The $141.6 million investment made in FY23 by the Lottery helps fund the Washington College Grant and College Bound programs, in order to improve access to postsecondary attainment for students across Washington.
About Washington’s Lottery: The state’s Lottery offers consumers several types of games, including Mega Millions, Powerball, Lotto, Hit 5, Match 4, Pick 3, Cash POP, Daily Keno and Scratch. For more information, visit www.walottery.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @walottery.
Keep it fun. Know your limit. Washington’s Lottery is an advocate for responsible gaming and collaborates with the Evergreen Council for Problem Gambling to provide resources for those in need. More information is available at www.walottery.com/Responsibility.
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Press Contacts
Dan Miller (Curator on behalf of Washington’s Lottery)
E-mail: dan.miller@curatorpr.com
Xiamara Garza (Curator on behalf of Washington’s Lottery)
E-mail: xiamara.garza@curatorpr.com