Scams

Lottery scams are a very common method of extracting money and/or personal information from unsuspecting targets. Scammers do this by enticing people with a large sum of money while often stating that there will be a fee to process the claim. Anyone can become a victim of a lottery scams, however they can be easily avoided if you know what to check for. Keep reading to find out what types of scams are being used and what to look out for if you receive one.

Avoiding Scams

Lottery scams are effective as they convince people they have won a large amount of money, when in actual fact all that is going to happen is the victim will spend money trying to get their hands on a prize that never existed in the first place. Use the general steps below to avoid being scammed:

• Know that you can only win a SuperLotto Plus prize if you have purchase an entry into a draw. If you have not bought an entry, you cannot win a prize.
• Check your tickets against the winning numbers on the numbers page. If you check the numbers for yourself, you can see exactly how many you have matched. You should never rely on someone else telling you that your numbers have won. You can also use the checker to see if you have won a prize.
• You will never have to pay a fee to release your prize. If you are asked to pay a fee to release your prize then you are being scammed.
• Lotteries do not select winners based on email addresses, telephone numbers or home addresses. The only way to win is match the numbers on your ticket to the official ones drawn.

How to Spot a Scam

When you know what to look for in a lottery scam, it becomes very obvious when you are being targeted. Check out these points below which highlight some common tactics scammers will use:

• It is very common to see spelling or gramatical errors in scam messages. Read through the message carefully and you may be able to spot some
• Are you being asked to pay money as a processing fee in order to receive your winnings? This is how they steal the money from you. No official lottery would make you pay to receive your winnings
• You may have been told that the prize is time sensitive or there is a short deadline for claiming. This is a common tactic scammers utilise to try and make you act without having time to think or confirm the information yourself
• If you are being told to keep the prize win a secret, this is a trick to try and keep you from discussing the scam with family or friends, as they will be able to advise you against responding
• If it seems like it is too good to be true, and you have not purchased an entry for the lottery in question, then the answer is it probably a scam

Types of Scams

There are various different ways in which you may be contacted by a scammer. We have highlighted the most common forms of lottery scams below:

• Email: This is the most common form of lottery scam. They will often pretend to be from the official lottery provider claiming you have won a large amount of money. The catch will be that you will have to click a link and pay a fee to receive your winnings
• Mobile: Some official lotteries will contact you via telephone if you win the jackpot. However, if you are every asked to provide card details you should hang up immediately as this is a scam. You should contact the lottery provider back to confirm if you have won a prize
• Post: If you receive a letter claiming to be from an official lottery, it is almost always a scam.
• Social Media: This is a relatively new form of scamming. One example you may receive is a direct message telling you have won a 'Facebook' lottery prize. This is not real, do not click any links and delete the message straight away.

Other signs to look for

• You are addressed as winner or something that is not personal to you - Official lotteries will address you by name
• Links to unfamiliar websites
• Bad or no design formatting of the email or letter - Scammers will also use poor quality images
• Asking for your card details, financial or personal information or to pay money for the 'processing fee' - You will never have to pay money to receive lottery winnings
• The email is sent from a free webmail address, such as gmail.com or yahoo.com

What to do next

If you think you are being targetted by a scammer, follow the steps below:

• Do not send any money, bank account details or any personal information
• Do not click any links, respond to the message, or call back any phone numbers - this will encourage the scammers to continue contacting you
• Do not send any copies of documents they have requested, for example drivers license, state ID card or passport
• Report the scam message to us via the contact us page

If you have already replied to the scammers, given any personal information or sent them money, then cut off contact straight away and call your bank and explain to them what has happened. They will be able to advise you on the next steps to take in order protect your account(s).