How To Avoid Lottery Scams While Playing Online

In order to know how to avoid lottery scams, we must first be able to spot them. The majority of lottery scams come from Jamaica, but there are scammers literally everywhere. You may find similarities to the old Prince of Nigeria scam. Here, we tell you how to avoid scams and what to do if you’re being scammed.

Identifying Lottery Scams

The first step to avoiding lottery scams is being able to spot them. Typically, lottery scammers tend to contact individuals through a letter, email or text message. This is the warning stage, where they try to convince you of the ‘legitimate’ or ‘legal’ prize you’ve won in a lottery. It doesn’t even matter if you’ve entered a lottery or not, scammers target people at random.

When receiving this message, the best way to respond is not at all. Scammers use such a tactic to get your attention, before requesting you “buy a ticket” or pay a fee.

It may be simple and obvious but here’s what you’ve got to do. Avoid getting involved with the sender. There is no way you can win a jackpot prize which you haven’t even entered. It is simply not possible.

Thus, we advise you not to send any personal data and banking details. In fact, it’s best to avoid getting engaged completely. The Jamaican lottery scam is an infamous scheme which you’ll want to look out for. Incoming calls from 876 use the Jamaican code. Also, phone numbers beginning with 190 are charged at a premium rate.

The story may vary each and every time but the steps on how to avoid scams remains the same. In order to steer clear of any cons or frauds, your best bet is not to engage with the sender at all.

What to do if you’ve been Scammed?

Well, as we’ve mentioned before, the first thing you ought to do is delete the message and contact immediately. Do not respond at all.

If you’ve already given out too much information or know someone else who might have done the same, you may well be swindled. In this case, you are going to have to report the scammer immediately to the authorities. There is a good chance you will not recover any funds, but you must call the bank to stop the transaction as soon as you realize whether you’re being scammed.

For people in the US, there is a website called https://www.usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds. This site is set up to help anybody who has been scammed. It is a crime and something which unfortunately still exists today.

How to Avoid Scams

One of the best ways to avoid being duped is by going to trustworthy sites. After all, if you want to truly win a lottery, you’ll need to buy a ticket first.

The best online lottery sites are the ones which are reliable. Our top picks would include the likes of theLotter and Lotto Agent. In both cases, the lottery sites have got worldwide credibility and do not even take commission for wins.

Plus, you can play lotteries which aren’t even in your residing country. This is a top selling-point as you can play the biggest jackpot lotteries in the world such as Mega Millions or Powerball.

In order to avoid scams, you’ll want to play recognized lotteries. Thus, you’ll want to use an acknowledged online lottery portal. And remember, you cannot win a lottery which you haven’t taken part in. Do not bother wasting any time replying to messages which seem as though they could be a fraud.

Remember Lottery Rules

If you have bought a ticket from a lottery and received a message that you’ve won, be sure to do some research. First of all, you’ll never need to pay an additional fee if you’ve won a legitimate lottery.

Lotteries and lottery sites all have set terms and conditions. Don’t be shy to go through the T&C to double-check that you’re not being swindled. What most scammers fail to include in such messages is the so-called “human-touch”. If you find spelling or grammar mistakes, or a lack of a name, then you can be sure that the message has been sent to more than one person.

Typically, lotteries tend to be more personal with winners rather than sending general messages. A recommendation we can give you is to check out our manual on what to do if you win the jackpot. Alternatively, all online lottery sites have a FAQ section where they specifically highlight what happens when you’ve won a jackpot.

Play Safely with Legitimate Lotteries

If you want to play the lottery with ease, then do so by using credited lottery sites. This makes the whole process easier, especially when you’ve done your research on the site and can trust them. You can find the best online lottery site reviews at the click of a mouse.

Avoiding lottery scams is not that difficult to do. As we’ve concluded here, you know that scammers want you to open the door. This is done by replying to their message.

Usually, you’re dealing with top professionals. However, you will notice some fallacies in their strategy. Asking for your personal identification is a no-go. Requiring you send money to win or credit card details is also a red flag.

Remember, the only thing which scammers want from you is what information. This starts off as personal data, can spread to info on family and friends, and eventually requires banking details.

Even if you receive a genuine-looking mail in the post, do not be taken by the authentic cover. Be sure to always read up on the T&C and never send any additional money if you’ve already won the jackpot. It is also worthwhile to get into contact with a lottery site you may have played with if you’re unsure.

Always remember, if you’ve entered a lottery and you happen to win, the lottery will text you of your victory. They will do all they can to get in contact with you and this involves calling your name.