Security Information
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) 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.

Be Aware of Lottery Scams:
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.

Something New:          A Colorado resident recently received a telephone call from a person claiming to be the Promotion Manger for the Commonwealth 2008 Beijing Para Olympic Game Lottery Promotion.  AGAIN, A FOREIGN LOTTERY WOULD BE ILLEGAL.  DO NOT PROVIDE PERSONAL INFORMATION OR SEND MONEY!

click here for Federal Trade Commission information on Illegal Foreign Lotteries

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.”
  • Undocumented aliens are permitted to claim their own Colorado Lottery prizes.
• 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 “good faith” money.
  • “Good faith” money is never required by the Colorado Lottery to claim a prize.
• 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.
  • 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.
  • The Colorado Lottery does not know who is a winner and will not contact you.
• 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.
  • 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.  Never give money or  valuables to a stranger to redeem a lottery prize.
• You receive an e-mail from an organization purporting to offer an opportunity to earn a  commission from the sale of Lottery tickets.
  • The only way to earn a commission from selling Colorado Lottery tickets is to  become a licensed retailer.
• You receive a winning lottery notification letter, along with what appears to be a legitimate  check. The check is supposed to cover lottery fees. You are instructed to deposit the  check and then send the equivalent amount of money to a foreign address. 
  • The check is counterfeit, and if you deposit the check and try to draw funds  on it, you will find yourself owing the bank for cash taken from that account.
• You are approached by a person claiming to be from another country, wanting 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.

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 scam 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.
• Be skeptical if a large check appears from an unknown person.
• Do not wire money abroad as part of a transaction.
• You are never required to give personal information to any Lottery representative via
 e-mail.
• 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
 manager.’
• There is no way to identify 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 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 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.

Remember:

• You cannot win a Lottery prize or a drawing if you haven't purchased a ticket or entered a specific drawing.
• The Colorado Lottery provides fun, excitement and prizes for players.  DO NOT let con artists and criminals take your money and spoil your fun.

Don't Be A Victim

Be ALERT
A sk questions
L isten carefully
E ducate yourself
R efuse to be pressured
Tell the authorities