Lottery Scams

Scams

Lotteries present an appealing market to scammers because victims may not think as clearly as normal when there is talk of winning a lot of money. Fraudsters will contact members of the public via phone, email, SMS or by post and claim that they have won a lottery jackpot. It is common for them to ask for upfront fees for 'processing' or taxes in order to transfer the prize. Another strategy is to request bank details or other personal information which can then be used to facilitate identity theft.

TexasFreeLottery.com – Fair, Honest and Dedicated to Stopping Scammers

The best way to stop yourself from falling into scammer’s trap is to be aware of the various tricks that they can use to extract money from innocent people. Here are a few important points to note when it comes to scams:

• It is impossible to win a prize in any lottery, raffle or sweepstake if you didn't play that particular game or enter the competition. The only way to win a Texas Free Lottery prize is to play the Daily or Weekly Draws that we offer to registered participants.
• You will never be asked by Texas Free Lottery to pay an upfront fee, or pay the taxes on your winnings before you are sent your prize. Taxes are your responsibility if you win a Texas Free Lottery prize.
• If you think you've won a Texas Free Lottery prize, you'll need to get in touch with us in order to start the claims process. If you are contacted with news of a big lottery win by a service or person you are unfamiliar with and that is not us, it is probably a scam.

How to Spot Lottery Scams

• If you have received a communication from anything other than that lottery's official email address, then tread carefully. Lotteries do not use free webmail addresses such as Gmail to contact users. Any correspondence you receive from TexasFreeLottery.com will have a “@texasfreelottery.com" email address in the sender field.
• Scams often require a response within a certain amount of time. This is in order to pressure victims into sending money or personal details before they can get advice from anyone else or check the validity of the mail. TexasFreeLottery.com will never ask you for money or "fees" to cover the release of any prize you might win.
• For similar reasons scammers may request confidentiality as a requirement for paying out the 'prize'. Real lotteries like TexasFreeLottery.com love to celebrate their winners, so be suspicious of anyone who says you must keep quiet about a win.
• Poor spelling, grammar or syntax in an email or letter should warn you that it may be fraudulent.
• Scammers are often vague about how the "process" works. They will always say there is another fee to pay, or give you another lie or excuse, to keep you on the hook until they have finished their scam. TexasFreeLottery.com is an honest company that prides itself on ensuring that every player understands how our draws and prizes work.

What To Do if You Are Targeted by a Lottery Scam

If you have received a text, email, letter or phone call that appears to be fraudulent, remember these simple steps:

• Do not send money.
• Do not follow any links or open any attachments in emails.
• Do not reply, as it will just encourage the scammer to keep trying.
• Do not disclose any personal or banking details.
• Cut off every possible way for the scammer to contact you. Block the phone numbers or email addresses they use and mark all post as "return to sender".

If you have already made contact with a suspected fraudster then break off all communication immediately. Alert your bank right away if you have passed on any financial or personal details and also alert the relevant police or authorities.