Lottery Scams bombard our mail, email, pop-up windows on our computers, and our internet searches. Just when you think “they” (whoever “they” are) have given up, another one lands in your in-box. The idea behind the lottery scam is that you receive an email, card, letter, brochure, pop-up, or phone call notifying you that you have won a prize. But in order to claim your prize, you must pay money up front (usually disguised as a processing fee, prize fee, or taxes). Once you pay that fee, money is promised, but it never arrives.
People are lured by instant wealth and fall victim to this type of scam. Even when they know, logically, that they never entered a lottery.
Keep your finances safe. Never pay for a prize. Never pay in advance, for taxes owed on a prize. Never give anyone your account number for a direct deposit into your account. Never wire money to someone you don’t know.
Notify the Arizona Attorney General’s Office for any scams you encounter. www.azag.gov/complaints/consumer
Also notify the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/complaint
