New Lottery Scam Targeting Seniors
Release Date
Jun 24, 2020
Contact
Whitney Ray
Phone
850-245-0150
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is issuing a Consumer Alert to warn Floridians about a new lottery scam targeting seniors. The Florida Attorney General’s Office is receiving reports that scammers are notifying seniors of fake lottery prize earnings with instructions to send a check in order to verify banking information and receive the prize.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “The possibility of winning the lottery is an exciting dream for millions of Americans—including many Florida seniors. Scammers are trying to hijack that dream and turn it into a nightmare all in an effort to steal from Floridians. My office is receiving reports of new lottery scams, and we are working to ensure all Floridians are protected from and informed about these emerging disgraceful tactics to rip off seniors.”
The Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division advises Florida lottery players to take caution when receiving calls from individuals claiming to be representatives with the Florida Lottery. According to the Florida Lottery, the agency does not contact players directly with information of prizes won unless players entered into a promotional game or second chance drawing on the official Florida Lottery website or social media pages. Attorney General Moody’s Consumer Protection Division also warns that players being instructed to pay a luxury tax, processing fee, customs fee, shipping and handling, pre-pay income tax or make purchases to receive a prize are likely the target of a scam.
To avoid this new lottery scam:
- Know that a legitimate sweepstakes will not require winners to pay anything to receive a prize;
- Never provide banking or personal information over the phone to an unsolicited caller;
- Be aware that the Florida Lottery does not contact players to inform them of winnings in games they have not entered;
- Avoid redeeming lottery tickets for a stranger; and
- Remember, U.S. citizenship is not required to claim a Florida Lottery prize.
To report a fraudulent sweepstakes or lottery offer received by mail, contact the Postal Inspection Service online at PostalInspectors.uspis.gov.
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The Florida Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division issues Consumer Alerts to inform Floridians of emerging scams, new methods used to commit fraud, increased reports of common scams, or any other deceptive practice. Consumer Alerts are designed to notify Floridians about scams and available refunds in an effort to prevent financial losses or other harm caused by deceptive practices. Anyone encountering a scam should report the incident to the Florida Attorney General's Office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visiting MyFloridaLegal.com. To view recent Consumer Alerts and for other information about avoiding scams, visit MyFloridaLegal.com/ConsumerAlert.