TALLAHASSEE; Fla. - Officials with the Florida Lottery are warning of Lottery scam that is targeting the elderly. Lottery officials say the scam is currently making its rounds in south Florida in which scammers are asking residents for help claiming a ‘winning’ ticket.
The scammers are claiming they’ve won a prize but aren’t able to collect the winning because they are not a U.S. citizen. The scammers are then asking the victim to claim the prize for them and promise to share the winnings.
When the victim calls the claim number on the back of the alleged ‘winning’ ticket, they are put in touch with the scammer’s accomplice posing as a Lottery representative.
The scammer’s tell the victim they must pay a fee in order to claim the prize. Once they have the money or personal information, the scammers disappear.
Florida Lottery officials want to remind people they will never require a winner to pay a fee in order to claim a prize and will never ask for personal financial information over the phone.
Here are few important tips to avoid being scammer:
NEVER pay money to collect a prize.
NEVER give your credit card number(s) or personal information over the telephone to anyone promising Lottery cash prizes or memberships.
NEVER redeem a Lottery ticket for a stranger.
You DO NOT need to be a U.S. citizen to claim a Florida Lottery prize.
For more information and to find other tips to protect yourself, please visit www.flalottery.com. To report a lottery scam, consumers should contact the Florida Lottery’s Division of Security at (850) 487-7730 or their local law enforcement
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