CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Ohio Lottery Commission is warning the public over lottery-related scams that are gaining speed as the Mega Millions jackpot grows. They say thieves are using email and texts to get a hold of their potential victims.
They claim the person they are contacting won the lottery and ask for their bank information to wire over the money.
They may also claim the person they’re contacting needs to pay a fee to claim their prize.
Although the elderly and those that struggle with technology are scammer’s usual targets, anyone can become a victim.
"A lot of times what will happen is they won’t believe it at first," says Michael Bycko, Visual Communications Manager of the Ohio Lottery Commission. "But if the scammer gets you on the hook, then they'll start playing you and it feels legitimate: that’s when they get you."
Bykos adds the only way to win any lottery game is to play: receiving a message claiming you won a game you haven't played is a red flag.
Also, lottery offices will never contact you to let you know you won.
If you suspect to have fallen victim to this type of scam, you should contact the Texas Lottery’s security department at 800-37LOTTO (800-375-6886).
