View examples of Lottery Scams 

Attorney General Beau Biden:  We're often contacted by consumers who have questions about solicitations they suspect are scams or who come to us for help after they have been victimized by a con-artist. One of the most common types of scams we see are lottery scams.

In the typical lottery scam a victim receives an unsolicited letter or e-mail stating they have won a prize in a foreign lottery.  However, the victim is told that in order to claim the winnings he/she must first pay a fee to cover processing, taxes, insurance, or other costs.  The victim is generally directed to cover these fees by providing his/her bank account numbers or by wiring funds via Western Union or a similar service, that is usually to a location outside of the United States.

Sometimes the scammer sends the victim a check which he/she is directed to deposit and then use to pay the required fee.  The checks look real, often even to banking institutions, and they may contain legitimate bank routing and account numbers.  However, the checks are always bogus.  The checks are ultimately rejected when the deposit is processed by the banking institution and the bogus check is returned to the victim.  Unfortunately, by that time the victim has usually already withdrawn legitimate funds from his/her bank account and sent them to the scammer.

Keep in mind these basic guidelines: 

• As a general rule you cannot win a prize in a lottery if you did not buy a lottery ticket 
• Legitimate lotteries do not require winners to pay money to cover fees or taxes 
• And, of course, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Advice for consumers:

• Never respond to an e-mail or letter that ask for personal information 
• Never send any money for 'processing fees,' or share any other financial information, in order to claim a prize 
• Never fill out any prize forms or 'claims' through postal mail or e-mail - you may end up on scammers' mailing lists and receive additional solicitations.

What to do if you suspect you are the target of a lottery scam:

• Immediately report the scam to:

1. the Delaware Department of Justice Consumer Protection Hotline (toll-free 800-220-5424) 
2. the federal Internet Crime Complaint Center (http://www.ic3.gov/)
3. if the scam is sent through US Postal Mail, the United States Postal Inspector (http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/) 

Questions:

If you are confused about a solicitation you have received, we encourage you to contact the Delaware Department of Justice Consumer Protection hotline toll-free at 800-220-5424. Our staff will review the solicitation with you and answer any questions you may have.