Lottery player told she had won $5.5 million found $2,000 missing, as warning issued over ‘too good to be true’ calls

A LOTTERY player was the victim of a scam that robbed her of thousands.

The woman had been promised $5.5 million she never received.

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An Iowa woman was targeted by lottery scammers who claimed she had won $5.5 million, KTVO — an ABC and CBS affiliate — reported.

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office said the victim received a call from an unknown woman who informed her of her supposed prize, which was also said to include a brand new 2023 Mercedes-Benz and lifelong payments of $5,000 a week.

However, the scammer then contacted the woman eight times, tricked her into a trusting relationship, and claimed she needed to pay $2,000 before she could receive her winnings.

When she was instructed to send more payments after forking over the $2,000, she contacted local police .

IOWANS WARNED

Using the woman as an example, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird sent a warning to Iowans about lottery scams on July 31, 2024.

“Scammers are professional manipulators and thieves,” said Attorney General Bird.

“They take advantage of Iowans’ hopes and dreams before stealing from them.

“And they steal not just money, but confidence, joy, trust, and livelihood.

“I urge Iowans to be vigilant and to remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And if you have to pay for your prize, it is a scam.”

The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Iowa Attorney General for comment.

SCAM PLANS

In 2023, victims throughout the US lost nearly $340 million from lottery scams, according to KTVO.

Through these scams, perpetrators trick victims into believing they have won a prize and convince them to pay a fee before they can receive their supposed winnings.

Scammers use various tactics to deceive their victims.

These criminals call, text, email, or send mail to tell them they won the lottery, a sweepstakes , or a prize, per the outlet.

They also ask for personal/financial details via emails or texts for victims to claim lottery wins or prizes.

Scammers also pretend to be lottery officials or act like they are from well-known companies that run sweepstakes to sell fake tickets or entries, demand money, or access victims’ personal/financial information, according to KTVO.

Bank tips for avoiding scams

As scams become more sophisticated with the use of artificial intelligence, it is important you know how to spot a scam:

• Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
• Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
• Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
• Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
• Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
• Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
• Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.

Source: Chase.com

SCAM SAFETY

If supposed winners are asked to pay for their prize, they are being scammed, per KTVO.

Those who suspect a scam over the phone should hang up and should not answer any unsolicited call or message.

No one should ever give personal or financial information over the phone or email to an unknown party for alleged lottery or prize winnings.

Still, many Americans have fallen victim to these vicious crimes.

A Tennessee man became a lottery scam victim after the clerk at the register stole his $1 million grand prize .

East Haven, Connecticut residents have been warned about a snail mail lottery scam after one was informed of $500,000 alleged winnings.

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