The Virginia Lottery has witnessed a recent increase in lottery scam reports.
In order to combat this, the Virginia Lottery’s Protect Your Play campaign aims to inform consumer on ways to protect themselves.
Here are some tips from the agency:
- If you have to pay a fee to collect your winnings, you haven’t won.
- If called, check the caller’s area code. Many scammers operate internationally.
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- Note that some know how to disguise themselves to appear as if they live in Virginia.
- Be suspicious if you are told you need to keep your win “confidential”.
- Never give out personal info unless you are able to verify the company’s legitimacy.
- Hang up on potential scammers immediately. Otherwise, you may end up on a calling list shared with other scammers.
Scammers typically target older people and have been known to wipe out retirement savings.
If you feel you’ve been a victim of a fake lottery scam, reach out to the Virginia Attorney General’s Office’s consumer protection hotline.
More tips from the Virginia Lottery on how to stay safe can be found here.
Source: WSLS News 10