Mega Millions scams are common because the scammers know everyone wants to hit a big jackpot and can be too excited to notice the red flags. We know how to avoid that type of lottery fraud and have developed this guide so that you can, too.
Quick Jump
How to Avoid Mega Millions Scams?
To avoid Mega Millions scams, you need to be attentive to any signs of a fake contact. Also, know that you won’t receive any contact from a Mega Millions member, not by mail, phone, or email.
Any lottery is played by keeping the ticket and going to claim it yourself at a retailer (smaller prizes) or at your local and official lottery office. There is no Mega Millions bonus for players or consolation prizes, by the way!
There were cases of the local lottery, like the New York Lottery, going after the winners of high unclaimed jackpots. However, they do not contact the winner but rather advertise, waiting for the winner to come.
Credit: Mega Millions
Therefore, your best protection is to keep an eye on lottery results to verify if you are a winner and make sure not to miss the deadline, or else you will lose the unclaimed lottery prize. Other than that, check out our quick tips below to avoid any Mega Millions scam!
How Do Mega Millions Scams Work?
Mega Millions scams try to trick people who play the lottery and even those who only dream about it into paying money to scammers. They do it by pretending to be an authority and requesting a specific amount to liberate a payment that does not exist.
What Are the Red Flags of a Lottery Scam?
There are clear red flags that work for spotting Mega Millions scams and any other form of lottery fraud trying to get your money and data. Here are the best ones to pay attention to:
- Someone contacts you in the name of Mega Millions to alert you of a prize.
- You receive an email or message with a link to open your prize.
- The offer of a bonus or consolation prize by the lottery company.
- An allegedly owed prize when you have not played Mega Millions.
- Poor grammar or misspelled words.
- Pressure to act immediately under the threat of losing the prize.
- Requests for personal or financial data, especially sensitive information.
Any of those red flags alone is enough to cancel any form of contact. If you have truly played Mega Millions, simply go check your numbers in our Mega Millions results page.
Spotting a Mega Millions Scam: A Quick Checklist
We have prepared a fast checklist that you can use as a reference whenever you feel like you are facing a Mega Millions scam. If you follow them, you are most likely to never fall into a scam:
3 Real Scam Stories: State Lotteries and Warn Players
There are always cases of Mega Millions scams reported by the authorities or lottery states. We have found three good examples to use as case studies for your knowledge.
1. False Winners With Money Promises
A report by Arizona Lottery alerted Mega Millions fans that scammers were claiming to be the winners of a $414 million jackpot. That alone cannot affect anyone, but they were spreading false emails offering the “donation” of a share of their fortune.
Of course, the email had a false link that could lead to a phishing site, but this time they were after curious people asking for more information. The scammers would ask for money to cover fees, and that is how they tricked people, especially the elderly.
2. Jamaican Sentenced for a Mega Millions Scam
It is always good to see a scammer be sentenced for tricking people and playing with their dreams. According to the attorney’s office of the District of Columbia, a Jamaican was sentenced to 71 months in prison for trying to extort
Thomas was sentenced for calling locals claiming to be the head of Mega Millions. As always, a charge on false fees was the way the scammer found to profit on innocent people. His way of action involved threatening upon not receiving the money, until he was finally identified by the FBI.
3. Fake FBI Calls
Federal investigators found out that they are being used as a way to get to people and scam them in Florida. Fake notices allegedly sent by the FBI and the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corp) were arriving to players alerting them of a Mega Millions prize.
Despite the different approach, they had the same method: Thousands of dollars were asked in order to secure the fake prize. Although the people responsible for it were not caught, the Florida Lottery advertised players not to trust any calls inviting them to pay to get a prize.
The New Mega Millions Scam: Precautions to Take
A common Mega Millions scam spread across the web during the years 2020 and 2021. There were a lot of changes due to the pandemic, and scammers seized the opportunity to spread misinformation and charge fees for fake prizes.
Once again, occasions such as the 30th anniversary of Mega Millions and the recent update on its format and prizing are the excuses found in fake messages.
Fortunately, following our tips and the checklist will prevent you from believing any of those, as you know now that you are responsible for claiming your prizes!
Mega Millions won’t contact you, and no one is going to be rewarded as a result of any celebration or change in the rules. Keep that in mind and avoid the newest Mega Millions scam on the web!
Here are some precautions published by Mega Millions that confirm your tips:
Credit: Mega Millions
How Do I Report a Mega Millions Scam?
If you want to report a Mega Millions scam, you may contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which may initiate an investigation with the federal and state authorities.
Players who feel more comfortable with contacting the lottery office as well may call the following numbers to report the scam:
| State | Telephone Number |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 480-921-4400 |
| Arkansas | 501-683-2000 |
| California | 1-800-568-8379 |
| Colorado | 719-546-2400 |
| Connecticut | 860-713-2700 |
| Delaware | 302-739-5291 |
| District of Columbia | 202-645-8000 |
| Florida | 850-487-7787 |
| Georgia | 404-215-5000 |
| Idaho | 208-334-2600 |
| Illinois | 1-800-252-1775 |
| Indiana | 1-800-955-6886 |
| Iowa | 515-725-7900 |
| Kansas | 785-296-5700 |
| Kentucky | 502-560-1500 |
| Louisiana | 225-297-2000 |
| Maine | 207-287-3721 (or toll free 1-800-452-8777) |
| Maryland | 410-230-8800 |
| Massachusetts | 781-849-5555 |
| Michigan | 517-335-5600 |
| Minnesota | 651-635-8273 |
| Mississippi | 855-946-4667 |
| Missouri | 573-751-4050 |
| Montana | 406-444-5825 |
| Nebraska | 402-471-6100 |
| New Hampshire | 603-271-3391 |
| New Jersey | 609-599-5800 |
| New Mexico | 505-342-7600 |
| New York | 518-388-3300 |
| North Carolina | 877-962-7529 |
| North Dakota | 701-328-1574 |
| Ohio | 1-800-686-4208 |
| Oklahoma | 405-522-7700 |
| Oregon | 503-540-1000 |
| Pennsylvania | 717-702-8000 |
| Rhode Island | 401-463-6500 |
| South Carolina | 866-736-9819 |
| South Dakota | 605-773-5770 |
| Tennessee | 877-786-7529 |
| Texas | 1-800-375-6886 |
| Vermont | 802-479-5686 |
| Virgin Islands | 340-774-2502 |
| Virginia | 804-692-7777 |
| Washington | 360-810-2888 |
| West Virginia | 304-558-0500 |
| Wisconsin | 608-261-4916 |
| Wyoming | 307-432-9200 |
How to Know You Are a Real Mega Millions Winner?
The only way to be sure about winning any Mega Millions prize, from matching the Mega Ball to hitting the Mega Millions odds for the jackpot, is to check your numbers.
If you are playing with a physical ticket, that can be done at any retailer. Otherwise, in all cases, you can always check the winning numbers here on the website. Simply have your digital or physical tickets with you and compare them!
Anyone calling you is most likely a scammer, and you should not give them a second of your attention! Remember that the only way of winning is by playing, and that you should play responsibly.
