Tips to Protect Yourself:
1) Always sign your tickets. If it's a winner, only you will be able to claim the prize. And, if it's not a winner, you may be able to enter it into a second-chance drawing. For more information about second-chance drawings, please see the "Scratch" section of this Web site.
2) Use the self-check ticket checkers available at many retail locations. This will ensure that you are paid properly for your winning tickets.
3) Ask to see the cash receipt for all winning tickets. You cannot keep the receipt, but it will tell you how much you've won so you can double-check it against the amount given to you by a retailer.
4) Ask your retailer to turn on the terminal tones...when you are a winner, it will say "Congratulations! You are a winner!"
5) If you suspect a retailer is not giving you your proper prize, please let our investigations team know, and we can help you resolve the issue.
Security Advisory
Every day, criminals and con artists find new ways to scam people out of their hard-earned money or good fortune. They want to steal your identity, credit card information, checking account numbers and valuables. They often use a lottery as an opening ruse. Be cautious when dealing with someone claiming an affiliation with the Colorado Lottery or any lottery.
Some common scams:
- A person claims he is unable to redeem a winning ticket because he is in the country illegally, and offers to sell you the “winning” ticket. A second person—posing as a stranger to the first person—walks by, and “confirms” that the ticket is “valid.”
- A person says the lottery is requiring cash up-front to redeem a winning ticket and offers to split the prize with you in exchange for the “good faith” money.
- You receive an e-mail claiming to be from “Colorado Lotto Headquarters” saying you have won a prize and need to pay a “processing” fee. You may be asked for bank account information and/or a social security number.
- You receive a letter with a foreign postmark and official-looking documents claiming you are one of the winners of a foreign lottery. The letter states you must send bank account information and/or pay a processing fee to claim your prize.
In all of these, you, the “winner,” never receive a penny, and the criminals make off with your money and possibly more.
Tips to avoid being a victim:
- Never give money or valuables to a stranger to redeem a lottery prize.
- “Good faith” money is never required by the Colorado Lottery to claim a prize.
- Undocumented aliens are permitted to claim their own Colorado Lottery prizes.
- It is illegal for US citizens to participate in foreign lotteries through the mail.
- If you receive a “winner” notice for a drawing you never entered, be suspicious.
- Never reveal your credit card and bank account numbers to anyone unless you are certain the contact is legitimate, from a reputable company with whom you have a long-term relationship.
- If you have ever responded to a fraudulent offer, you can expect more phony offers for lottery or investment “opportunities.” Your name may have been placed on a “sucker” list that unscrupulous telemarketers buy and sell.
- Report suspicious “lottery” material to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP. You can also contact the Colorado Attorney General or call the Colorado Lottery security department at 800-999-2959.
The Colorado Lottery provides fun, excitement and prizes for players. DO NOT let con artists and criminals take your money and spoil your fun.
Oklahoma Lottery Scam Warning 2/25/08
Oklahoma Lottery E-Mail Scam Making Rounds
Jim Scroggins, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Lottery has notified the Colorado Lottery of a scam that appears to the public to be coming from, and authorized by, the Oklahoma Lottery. The e-mail comes from the "Oklahoma Lottery Commission" and has the subject "Congratulation Winner." The e-mail tells "winners" that they have been selected to win $1 million because their e-mail was attached to a specific ticket and that ticket was drawn in a special drawing. It then asks for specific, detailed personal information. It is signed by Mr. Williams Anthony and has phone numbers in the Washington State area. This is a scam.
Remember:
- You cannot win a Lottery prize or a drawing if you haven't purchased a ticket or entered a specific drawing.
- You are never required to give personal information to any Lottery representative via e-mail.
- There is no way to attach an e-mail address to a specific ticket sold at a Lottery retailer.
- You will never be contacted via e-mail regarding a prize you've won unless you have specifically entered a second-chance drawing or other promotional drawing and have provided the Lottery your e-mail address.
- If you have any questions about any e-mails or other contact that purports to be from the Colorado Lottery, please contact our office directly at 800-999-2959.
Colorado Lottery Scam Warning 9/5/07
Lottery scams still a problem — especially for seniors
Colorado Springs Gazette
DAN SERRA
September 5, 2007
“With outmost joy, we are pleased to inform you of the result of the East-West Australia Lotteries International programs held on the 24th of August 2007 drew cash Prize of 1,000,000.00.”
Talk about timing. I received this e-mail the same day I was at a fraud prevention seminar, where lottery scams were a hot topic. Presenters said people are still falling for these fake notices.
Lottery scams are the largest complaint to law enforcement, said Tod Marner, an investigator with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. They are also the most frustrating complaint because local law enforcement can’t investigate claims that originate from outside the United States. They can be filed only with the FBI or Secret Service, which compile complaints and look for trends of widespread financial scams before taking action. (Forward such e-mails with full e-mail header to 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov.)
Seniors are the most likely to fall for lottery scams, seminar presenters agreed. Older people are more trustful and often unsophisticated when it comes to financial affairs, research says, and they are more likely to not understand details well enough to evaluate an offer.
Often, banks are the first to get wind that a senior is about to be scammed. When a senior comes in and requests a wire transfer, which lottery scammers profit from by requesting an amount to cover taxes or a processing fee before forking over the fake money, banks face the task of explaining the scam.
One senior walked into Wells Fargo in Denver to make a $30,000 wire transfer to South Korea to claim his lottery winnings, and despite what bank managers did to persuade him it was a fraud, he persisted, said Lisa Tennyson, an employee in Denver whose job is to prevent fraud at the bank. But the senior argued until the bank told him if he didn’t like the bank’s refusal he could close his account.
How can you tell a fake lottery? Easy. There’s no such thing as a foreign lottery that’s legal in this country. Your only lottery option is the Colorado Lottery or another state lottery in the United States. And you must buy a ticket and turn it in to win.
Two other popular scams are:
- Fake checks. Victims are sent a check (it looks real, but it’s not) and asked to deposit it in their account and wire transfer a lesser amount of it back as payment for taxes or fees for the transaction. Everything seems fine until the bank contacts the victim and says the check is no good and demands repayment.
- Auction overpayments. An online auction seller gets an e-mail from someone saying he or she will pay more if they can have the item right now. The buyer sends an overnight check for a larger amount and tells the seller they can keep part of the excess payment and refund another portion. But again, the seller’s money is sent away before the bank calls to say the check is no good.
A common theme: If you’re asked to wire money to someone you don’t know or haven’t contacted, it’s likely a scam.
If you feel you are a victim of Internet crime, you can report it at www.ic3.gov, which is run in part by the FBI.
Colorado Lottery Scam Warning 08/30/2006
Recently, the Colorado Lottery received the following e-mail from an organization purporting to offer an opportunity to earn a commission from the sale of Lottery tickets. If you receive this e-mail, do not respond to it. It is a scam. The address on the e-mail indicates the company is based in Arizona, but it is actually based in Malta. U.S. Federal law prohibits mailing payments to purchase any ticket, share or chance in any foreign lottery. Foreign lottery solicitations do not come from foreign government agencies, but from criminals. It is a crime punishable by a fine and up to five years in prison.
The only way to earn a commission from selling Colorado Lottery tickets is to become a licensed retailer. Retailers in Colorado earn a commission for every Lotto, Cash 5, Powerball and Scratch ticket they sell, as well as for the winning tickets they cash. If you would like more information on becoming a licensed retailer in Colorado, please click here: http://www.coloradolottery.com/about/become_retailer.cfm?location=51
Text of e-mail:
“Imagine if the Power Ball announced tomorrow that they were selling Franchises.
And with these Franchises you could set up a shop and sell Power Ball tickets.
And for every ticket you sold you got a commission.
And the price of the Franchise was $160.
HOW LONG OF A LINE DO YOU THINK THERE WOULD BE OF PEOPLE WAITING TO SIGN UP FOR SUCH A FRANCHISE?
Well the Power Ball is NOT offering Franchises but we are.
If you want to find out more information about a home base business that pays commissions for selling Lotto tickets
Then (it gave an address to click - we have removed the link)
Warm Regards,
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
(Lottery Security Note: Please be aware that an email similar to this could be forwarded from any city, any state or any country.)
Colorado Lottery Scam Warning 07/12/2006
Police probe lottery check scam
By CAMERON MATHEWS
Fort Morgan Times
The Fort Morgan Police Department issued a warning ear lier this month concerning a lot tery scam.
Officer Roger Doll with the police department reported the scam has been targeting elderly consumers, and within the past few months police have received numerous reports of people receiv ing winning lottery notification let ters along with what appears to be a legitimate check, DoU explained.
Those victims who have received such letters say the imitation checks appear to be legitimate.
The checks that accompany the letters are said to cover lottery fees, Doll stated.
In order to collect their winnings, victims are instructed to deposit or cash the check and then send the equivalent amount of money to an address in Canada, police reported. In many cases, victim is informed he or she must call an account manager for proper authorization before the check can be cashed.
Doll said these checks are counterfeit, and if the victim deposits the check in his or her personal bank account and proceeds to draw funds upon it, they will find them selves owing their bank for the cash taken from the account, Doll said.
Police have warned unsuspect ing victims that if they receive check from a lottery they didn't enter, do not cash or deposit the check. The police department has received many calls concerning the lottery scam this year.
Tips to avoid the fraudulent lottery scam outlined by police are:
Be skeptical if a large check appears from an unknown person.
Do not wire money abroad as part of a transaction.
Be concerned about letters that request one to keep the award strictly confidential for security reasons or because there has been some sort of "mixup" of names and numbers.
Be suspicious if a winning notification letter has any mention of "claim agent" or "account man ager."
If a person receives a suspicious check, he should contact his personal bank or call the police department before depositing or cashing the check.
Colorado Lottery Scam Warning 11/30/2005
If you receive an email with the subject: "Greetings from the Colorado Lotto Headquarters" claiming that you have won a prize, delete the message prior to opening.
This company, claiming to be "The COLORADO LOTTERY HEADQUARTERS, USA, CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT" is in NO WAY CONNECTED with the Colorado Lottery.
This is one of many lottery scams being conducted around the world. Remember, it is illegal for foreign lotterys to conduct business in the United States.
If you have questions or need further information, please contact Colorado Lottery Security at 1-800-999-2959.
Don't Be A Victim
Fraud Alert Press Release
LOTTERY SCAMS
Every day, criminals find new ways to scam victims out of their savings. Over the past few months, several Colorado residents have fallen prey to con artists claiming to be Colorado Lottery winners who are unable to collect their jackpots. The con artists offer to 'sell' the winning ticket to the victim, or ask their victim to collect the money for them. When the victim agrees, they are asked for money or other valuables as a 'deposit.' Once the con artists have the victim's money, they disappear, leaving the victim holding the bag.
Be Suspicious
Other illegal scenarios include:
The thief or thieves approach victims, claim to be from another country, and claim to want to cash in a Lottery ticket to donate the prize to a church. After the victims hand over their 'deposit,' the scam artists leave victims empty-handed or with a worthless Lottery ticket.
There are other ways for thieves to steal your money using variations on these Lottery scams. For example, if you receive a telephone call from a direct marketer who promises instant lottery prizes, hang up! NO lotteries in the U.S., including the Colorado Lottery, operate this way.
People who approach you with stories like these are criminals. They simply want your money and credit card numbers. They will lie to you, and sound convincing! They're con artists, it's their specialty.
The Colorado Lottery was created to fund parks and recreation, trails and open space, and to provide fun, excitement and prizes for players. DO NOT let these scam artists take your money and spoil your fun.
ONLY buy Lottery tickets from authorized Colorado Lottery retailers.
The Colorado Lottery and local law enforcement agencies have teamed up to fight these serious crimes, but there is no way to stop them without your help.
To report this type of illegal activity, please call the Colorado Lottery Criminal Investigations Division at (303) 759-6829 or (719) 546-5309, or call your local police department.
Be Alert
Protect yourself and your money. The next time a telemarketer has you on the line, be alert:
A sk questions
L isten carefully
E ducate yourself
R efuse to be pressured
T ell the authorities
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:
The Colorado Lottery & Local Law Enforcement
Colorado Lottery Investigations
Janice L. Friddle, AARP Elder Watch Director
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