The Florida Lottery Warns of Nationwide Lottery Scam

According to a recently published press release, a lottery scam has been circulating throughout the United States that promises victims millions in dollars but actually ends up leaving them out in the cold with their pockets empty.

The scam was originally brought to the public's attention by the Florida Lottery. They are warning consumers and players that the huge scam at the moment involves a letter that tells a victim they have won a contest that is sponsored by multi-national companies in North America.

However, the letter has a Canadian address and is sent with a fake check from "Florida Leisure & Gaming" that actually contains the forged signature of Florida Lottery Secretary Leo DiBenigno, insisting that it is from the Florida Lottery.

Even though the letter and the fake check imply that they are connected to the Florida Lottery, the scam has been sent to people in New York, Pennsylvania, and other northeast areas of the country. Reports of this scam has flooded the Florida Lottery with inquiries about whether it is authentic or not.

Doug Pitts, director of security at the Florida Lottery, explains, "Unfortunately lottery scams are widespread, and consumers should beware. The Florida Lottery will never ask players for money in order to collect a prize."

The scam seems so authentic that it's scary. The way it works is that a bogus check is written to a would-be victim for a certain amount. The person is asked in the letter to deposit the check and then wire money using Western Union to cover "surcharges" and "government tax." Many people believe it is legit, however, they are the ones who are really losing money.

Pitts added, "People are willing to pay out-of-pocket fees in order to receive the large prize amount promised to them. However, during the bank's verification process, victims discover the check mailed to them is
worthless.

By the time the victim realizes that the check is worthless, they have already wired the money with Western Union.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service reported that people lose $120 million each year to lottery scams. Every year, that number goes up due to advancements in technology that make phony checks look real. In a real lottery, you will never be asked to fork over upfront costs until the prize money is given to you. You can also not win the lottery without purchasing a ticket.

Even if you do not live in Florida, you can avoid being scammed by visiting the Security section of the Florida Lottery web site at http://www.flalottery.com/security.