The OPP is advising the public of potential lottery scams.
You may have received a notification that you had won a large amount of money or vehicle from fake lottery sweepstakes or contests. This could come in the form of a call, e-mail, and text message or see a pop up on your computer. Sometimes the scam will claim that it is legal or has government approval. Oftentimes there will be a cost to claim your prize.
Instead of receiving a grand prize or fortune, you could lose every cent to a scammer. Often if you do receive a prize, it will not be what was promised to you and if you hand your personal information out, your identity could be misused for criminal means.
“You cannot win money or a prize in a lottery unless you have entered it yourself, or someone else has entered it on your behalf. You cannot be chosen as a random winner if you haven’t actually entered in a contest,” said Detective Inspector Paul Beesley, of the OPP Anti-Rackets Branch. “Many lottery scams try to trick you into providing your banking and personal details to claim your prize. You should not have to pay any fee or tax to claim a legitimate prize.”
Prize fraud now ranks second highest in Canada in terms of the number of mass marketing fraud complaints, and fourth in terms of dollar losses reported by victims. Canadians are also dishing out these schemes abroad. Based on the total number of complaints, the type of scams is the top Canadian-based mass marketing fraud reported by consumers in the United States.
Members of the OPP Anti-Rackets Branch remind consumers you can protect yourself from becoming a victim of the lottery or prize scam.
- Legitimate lotteries do not require you to pay a fee or tax to collect winnings.
- Never send money to anybody you don’t know and trust.
- Don’t provide personal banking details to anyone that you do not know and trust.
- Examine all of the terms and conditions of any offer very carefully. Claims of free or very cheap offers often have hidden costs. Calls to premium rate phone numbers or premium text messages can be very expensive.
- Ask yourself, “Did I willingly enter this contest?
If you or someone you know has been approached to pay a fee to claim a lottery or other type of prize, contact your local police service or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or click here. If you suspect you may be the victim of fraud or have been tricked into giving personal or financial information, contact your local OPP detachment at 1-888-310-1122 or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.