The Michigan Lottery wants customers to be aware of potential scammers posing as lottery agents as the holidays approach.
In a release sent out Tuesday, the Michigan Lotto reminded the public that it always processes prizes for free, and that if you haven’t bought a ticket, you can’t win a prize.
The warning comes near the holiday season, when scams are known to be prevalent. It also comes as account security at online sportsbooks and casinos has been in the news.
Michigan Lottery scam warnings
Scams centered around claims someone has won a prize are nothing new. The Michigan Lottery highlighted two that are common:
- A person receives a letter, email, text or phone call informing them they’ve won a lottery prize, and must pay a fee to collect the prize.
- A scam artist contacts a person claiming to be a lottery winner. In this instance, they tell the person they will share the prize if the person sends them money.
In both cases, if the person agrees, the scam artist convinces them to mail a cashier’s check, make an electronic funds transfer or even arranges an in-person meeting for a cash transaction.
The release notes that the more money a person provides to the scam artist, the longer it will continue.
To reiterate, any Michigan Lottery prize can only be won if you’ve purchased a ticket, and never will they ask you to pay to collect your prize.
To check if a prize is legitimate, you can contact the Michigan Lotto Player Relations Division at (844) 887-6836, option 2, or email [email protected].
Online sportsbooks, casinos urge players to secure accounts
The release from the Michigan Lottery comes just weeks after DraftKings announced some of its customers were experiencing irregular activity with their accounts.
Statement: pic.twitter.com/HsK9Rb0OZ3
— DraftKings News (@DraftKingsNews) November 21, 2022
With the amount of money and personal information involved with online sportsbooks and online casinos, keeping your account secure is paramount.
Most online gambling sites in Michigan have two-factor authentication, requiring you to enter a code that’s sent to your phone or email. Even with that, it’s highly recommended customers use unique passwords for their accounts.
Consumer protections are in place, and the Michigan Gaming Control Board has safeguards to protect bettors in the state. But putting as many safeguards as possible in between yourself and potential bad actors remains the best route.
