The Virginia Lottery has witnessed a recent increase in lottery scam reports.
In order to combat this, the Virginia Lottery’s Protect Your Play campaign aims to inform consumer on ways to protect themselves.
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Here are some tips from the agency:
- If you have to pay a fee to collect your winnings, you haven’t won.
- If called, check the caller’s area code. Many scammers operate internationally.
- Note that some know how to disguise themselves to appear as if they live in Virginia.
- Be suspicious if you are told you need to keep your win “confidential”.
- Never give out personal info unless you are able to verify the company’s legitimacy.
- Hang up on potential scammers immediately. Otherwise, you may end up on a calling list shared with other scammers.
Scammers typically target older people and have been known to wipe out retirement savings.
If you feel you’ve been a victim of a fake lottery scam, reach out to the Virginia Attorney General’s Office’s consumer protection hotline.
More tips from the Virginia Lottery on how to stay safe can be found here.