Lottery Scams: What Are They and How to Avoid One

Who wouldn’t be over the moon getting a message saying they won the lottery? Don’t be too quick to celebrate though! Unfortunately, there are many scammers and con artists who send these messages to gain access to your personal information, including financial details.

 Keep reading for basic information and tips on recognising the signs of a lottery scam and what to do if you fall victim of one whether you’re playing at a retailer or online with theLotter Colorado.

How does lottery fraud work?

Lottery fraud usually come in the form of emails, text messages or calls informing you of a lottery win or offering you a share of a lottery prize. In both cases, the scammer will usually ask the victim for personal and/or financial details in order for you to access the winnings. Unfortunately, instead of giving them access to the alleged prize winnings, the money paid out by the victim goes to the scammer's bank account.

What are the signs that you're being scammed?

  • You haven’t played the lottery
    The most obvious sign that you’re being scammed is if you receive a call, email, or text message without having purchased a lottery ticket. If they claim that you have been “randomly selected” - it’s definitely too good to be true!

  • You are contacted by a lottery operator
    Unless you come forward and present your winning ticket, an official lottery operator will not be able to contact you as there is no way for them to identify you as having purchased a ticket or won a prize. So be very wary when someone claiming to be affiliated with any state or national lottery contacts you whether you have played or not. Another red flag that you can look out for is typos and grammatical errors that an official organization would be unlikely to make.

  • Unsolicited emails or notifications
    Have you received an unexpected message informing you of a big lottery win from a seemingly genuine email address or phone number? If you have not signed up to receive updates or alerts you should never reply, click on any links, or call any numbers listed in unsolicited messages no matter how tempting.

As a general rule, never give out your personal details, bank account/credit card information, or Social Security number over the internet or phone to unfamiliar people. If you realise a little too late that you have already provided your details to a fraudster, make sure to contact your bank immediately and file a complaint on the Internet Crime Complaint Center

Social Media Lottery Scams

Scammers and con artists have been targeting people over social media platforms, such as Facebook, for some time now. These scammers employ several approaches, including informing you of a lottery win and requesting a fee to get your prize or claiming that they’ve recently won the lottery and offering to share the prize with you in exchange for personal details or an advance fee.

If you ever receive messages like these, keep in mind that the Colorado Lottery and any other official lottery organization will not announce wins through social media or request a fee. These messages are never legitimate and you should never engage with them.

theLotter Colorado makes sure you're safe from scams

theLotter Colorado strives to ensure that your personal and payment details are always safe and protected.

If you’re playing online with theLotter Colorado or are considering joining, here are some important facts about how our service works:

  • You are in control of how you’re notified when you win. You can choose to receive an email, a text message, or both, and you always have the option to change this in your notification settings.


  • Any message you receive from us can also be seen in your personal account at theLotter Colorado.


  • All of your information is protected under Geotrust 128 SSL bit security, accessible by username and password only.


  • The only fee that theLotter Colorado charges is a small service fee on your lottery ticket purchase. This goes towards operational expenses and our courier service.


  • Prizes under $600 are automatically transferred to your online account once received on your behalf from the official lottery operator. If you win a prize larger than $600, you will receive your winning ticket so that you can personally collect your prize.


  • theLotter Colorado pays out all prizes commission-free and does not charge a fee for the withdrawal of winnings.

Are You a Victim of a Lottery Scam?

We urge you to take caution and make every effort to prevent yourself from falling victim to a lottery scam. We strongly suggest that you report any attempted scam to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or online at the FTC Consumer Information website or to your state attorney general.
You can also visit the official Colorado Lottery website to see the latest lottery scams in Colorado, more information on on staying clear of fraud, and what steps to take if you fall victim to a scammer.