This post was originally published on this site
The California Lottery released the following statement in light of the announcement by the United States Department of Justice regarding the sentencing of a Georgia resident to 5 years in prison for a lottery fraud scheme that victimized elderly Californians:
“This is an incredibly important reminder for everyone who plays any of our California Lottery games,” said Alva V. Johnson, Director for the California State Lottery. “We want to make sure everyone knows that the California Lottery does NOT charge taxes or fees for players to claim their prize. We take these sorts of scams very seriously, and our best defense is to continue educating Californians so they can continue to play and win in a safe manner.”
In addition to understanding that the Lottery doesn’t charge players to claim prizes, people should also be aware of the following facts:
- A Lottery official would NEVER personally contact a player about winning a jackpot before the player files a prize claim form.
- There’s absolutely NO WAY to win a lottery prize if you don’t play a lottery game.
- Never give your credit card number, social security number, bank account information, or any other sensitive information to anyone promising lottery cash prizes, and be suspicious of “urgent” solicitations that suggest you will lose a prize if you don’t act immediately.
- Buy lottery tickets only from authorized California lottery retailers, of which there are more than 23,000 locations and none of which are online.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
People can also watch this video for more information on Lottery-related scams, including what to do if they think they’re being targeted by scammers. The Lottery also has a customer service phone line, 1-800-LOTTERY (1-800-568-8379), for people to call if they see fraudulent activity and/or need assistance with a claim form.
