![\"Attorney](\"https:\/\/www.thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Mike-DeWine-headshot-200px-6-2014.jpg\")
<\/a>In 2015, the Ohio Attorney General\u2019s Consumer Protection Section has received more than 400 complaints about sweepstakes or prizes. Most consumers do not lose money, but dozens of individuals have reported losses ranging from $12 to more than $200,000.<\/p>\n
The scams often begin with a phone call or a letter claiming the consumer has won a few million dollars through a lottery or sweepstakes. In order to collect the winnings, consumers are told to wire a few hundred or a few thousand dollars to cover fees or taxes. In reality, they haven’t won a prize, and any money they send will be lost.<\/p>\n
Individuals who send money once usually will be contacted again and asked to send more money to cover taxes, customs fees or other costs supposedly associated with delivering the winnings. As long as the victim continues to send money, the scam artist will keep calling.<\/p>\n
Signs of a lottery scam include:<\/p>\n
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- Winning a lottery one doesn\u2019t remember entering.<\/li>\n
- Calls from a lottery or government agency saying one has won millions.<\/li>\n
- Receiving an unexpected check for a few thousand dollars.<\/li>\n
- Having to pay a fee to collect winnings.<\/li>\n
- Having to send money via wire transfer or prepaid card.<\/li>\n
- Having to call an 876 (Jamaican) area code phone number.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Attorney General DeWine encourages consumers to take the following steps to avoid scams:<\/p>\n
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- Don\u2019t trust someone who says you won a lottery you did not enter. If you didn\u2019t buy a ticket, you didn\u2019t win.<\/li>\n
- Don\u2019t wire money or pay a fee to receive winnings.<\/li>\n
- Don\u2019t give out personal information to someone who contacts you unexpectedly over the phone or through email.<\/li>\n
- Be skeptical if asked to call an out-of-country phone number in connection with a lottery or sweepstakes win.<\/li>\n
- Be skeptical if one receives an unexpected check for a few thousand dollars. It could be a counterfeit check used as part of a scam.<\/li>\n
- Those who have older relatives or friends should look for signs they have been targeted by lottery scams. Red flags include unusual banking activities, wire transfer receipts, or an increased number of phone calls made to them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n