Scams

Con artists sometimes target lottery participants as the prospect of winning a big prize would sound great to anyone, especially avid players.

Below you can find some general advice on how you can spot a scam, as well as some tactics scammers usually use on their victims.

If something sounds too good to be true, it most probably is. Here are some signs that you are getting scammed:

• You are told that you have won a substantial prize in a lottery you never entered.
• Someone you don't know asks for your personal details.
• You are asked to pay a fee in order to receive the prize.
• There is urgency in the message and you are pressured to take action as soon as possible.
• The company doesn't want to provide any written information and it has no physical address.

We advise you not to give your personal information such as bank account details, home address, or proof of identity to anyone you don't know personally.

Here are a few important things you should keep in mind:

• You should only purchase tickets from authorized Ohio Lottery retailers or from verified websites.
• Never agree to help someone you don't know to cash a lottery ticket.
• Legitimate lottery providers do not contact you to advise you have won a prize. Unless you specifically entered a promotion or a second-chance drawing organized by the Ohio Lottery Commission, they will never get in contact with you to let you know that you have won a prize.
• Do not accept a call from someone who claims they are a lottery official.
• If you feel that you have fallen victim to a lottery scam, you can contact the Ohio Lottery at (216) 774-5757.