Be wary of lottery scams, Ohio attorney general’s office warns

With the Mega Million and Powerball jackpots both reaching into the hundreds of millions of dollars, scam artists are looking to swindle you by using phony calls or letters claiming you've won millions of dollars.

The Ohio Attorney General's Office has already received several reports of scams this week, according to a statement AG Mike DeWine’s office released  Friday.

These scams typically begin with someone stating that you've won a large sum of money through the lottery or a sweepstake. And in order to receive your prize money you have to wire several hundred dollars for taxes or "processing fees."

But in reality, the money goes to a scam artist and there is no prize money.

"We just warn people to be careful," DeWine said. "In most cases, if you're getting a call saying you've won millions of dollars, it's a scam."

>>MONEY: Are you owed money? Ohio's unclaimed fund hits $2.6 billion

The attorney general's office offers these tips to avoid these type of scams:

  • Don't send money to receive a prize
  • If you truly won, you shouldn't need to send your own money in advance to receive your winnings
  • Be wary of requests for wire transfers, money orders or gift cards. These payment methods are used frequently in scams
  • Be wary if you receive an unexpected check in the mail, as it may be a counterfeit check used as part of a scam
  • Spread the word. If you have older relatives, talk to them about scams and look for signs that they have been targeted. Red flags include unusual banking activities, wire transfer receipts and an increased number of phone calls made to them.

Report potential scams to the attorney general's office at 800-282-0515 or ohioprotects.org

Got a tip? Call our monitored 24-hour line, 937-259-2237, or send it to newsdesk@cmgohio.com

About the Author