When there’s the potential for winning millions of dollars, there’s the potential for Powerball scams, and these are the latest alerts warning Powerball players to beware.
Just last month, the Central Oregon Daily News published a story warning Powerball players about one of the latest scams. Criminals have been emailing people, claiming to be multi-million-dollar Powerball winners, eager to give away their wealth as an act of random generosity. Of course, this Powerball scam is just one of many. And every year, hopeful Powerball winners fall prey to some of these tactics. Today, we’ll talk about this latest scam alert and others so you can be smart when it comes to playing Powerball safely.
Pretending to be a Powerball winner, scammers will text random targets, offering to share their winnings as a random act of kindness. In Pasadena, these unscrupulous texters are now using actual Powerball winner names, pretending to be them. Edwin Castro, the Powerball winner who won the $2.04 billion jackpot, isn’t really giving away money. But the latest scammers are texting locals, pretending to be him, offering recipients the chance to be one of ten people they plan to gift $900,000. Here’s what Pasadena Now says the message looks like:
“I’m donating the sum $900,000 to 10 peoples. So once you receive this text message , you’re among the lucky winners.”
This message provides a phone number to call and concludes with a requirement to process a small “payment” to be eligible to receive the funds.
Beware of Powerball prize scams in the inbox. Whenever you receive unsolicited emails indicating that you’ve “won” something or are “eligible to win” a substantial prize, ignore it. These emails will often have what appear to be official logos and email addresses but will usually contain grammatical errors and slight distinguishable text differences. Just know there is no “National Lottery Winning Agency” out there, prepared to give you thousands of dollars.
Social media platforms are common target venues for criminal phishing and Powerball scams. Some impersonate influencers or prominent content creators who are eager to hand out money. Others will DM you privately with links and directions to claim a prize you’ve won. In any of these scenarios, do not provide any personal or financial information. Ignore and delete the communications immediately, and never click on the links they provide.
Some of the most “official” looking scams will arrive in the mail. There might be forged logos or signatures, with professional or legitimate-looking packaging. And these mailers might even include a fake check. Know that the only thing to do with these notices is file them in your trash. Powerball officials won’t ever send notices of winnings in the mail.
Consumers can be smart about watching out for Powerball scams. Here are a few red flags to look out for so you can protect yourself from would-be criminals.
Be smart about playing Powerball, and be mindful of the potential scammers out there. Don’t let them steal your fun and big dreams of winning.