The Pennsylvania Lottery has issued a warning over a new scam being used to steal money from players in the state.According to the Lottery, scammers call consumers to say that they have won a fictitious Mega Millions sweepstake or a prize from another lottery game with a known brand.
The criminals then encourage players to make a payment for taxes and other costs in order for their prize to be processed, but the prize money is never paid out.
“Unfortunately, these types of scams are quite common, especially during times of crisis, such as a pandemic, when people may be vulnerable,” PA Lottery executive director Drew Svitko said.
“It’s important to know that the Pennsylvania Lottery will only contact players if they won a Second-Chance Drawing, a giveaway into which a player may have submitted an entry, or to collect their winning story. We never call or email people at random.”
