Beware of Lottery Scams!

Just got word that you've hit the jackpot? Don’t rush into excitement just yet; it could be misleading.

If you receive a message from an unfamiliar sender claiming you’ve won big, it’s time to be on guard. Scammers love to use such tactics to fool unsuspecting people.

As a trusted online lottery courier, theLotter Arizona created this guide to help you spot and avoid lottery scams.

Is it too good to be true? Then it probably isn’t what it seems!

Scammers usually pose as affiliates of state or national lotteries or well-known businesses, using real logos to gain your trust. Remember, legitimate lottery organizations will never contact winners in this manner.

How to protect yourself?

  • Never call to ‘verify’ a lottery win.

  • Ignore suspicious emails and don’t click on any links within them.

  • Be wary of misspellings and grammatical errors; they are clear indicators of potentially malicious content.

  • Never share personal or financial information to claim a lottery prize.

  • Avoid sharing personal details, contact information, bank account details, credit card information, or Social Security numbers online or with strangers.

  • Only the ticket holder can claim a prize. Do not purchase ‘winning tickets’ from others or collect them on someone else’s behalf.

  • Be wary of "jackpot winners" on social media offering to share their prize money - this is a telltale sign of a scam.

TheLotter Arizona is safe

Your account at TheLotter Arizona, including your Social Security number and financial information, is safe and secure. You can easily verify any winnings by logging into your account. When theLotter Arizona contacts you, it’s as a lottery courier service fulfilling your ticket order - not as an official lottery organization. The company generates revenue by charging a service fee for processing your ticket purchase.

Secondary winnings (prizes under $600) will be promptly transferred to your online lottery account once we receive them from the official lottery operator. For larger prizes, we’ll arrange to send you the winning ticket so you can personally claim your prize at the Arizona Lottery offices. You can customize how you’d like to be notified of a win by through the notification settings in your account.

Rest assured, we will never charge you a fee or take a commission from your lottery prize.

For more information

The Federal Trade Commission has more information on fake lotteries and other scams on this page. You can also call toll-free: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

More information on Player Protection here.

If you are a victim of a lottery scam

Report any attempted scam to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or at the FTC Consumer Information website.

Beat lottery scammers at their own game

Understanding these risks can help you avoid becoming a scam victim in online lottery draws. For more information, check the tips from the Arizona Lottery. If you’ve fallen victim to a scam after all, please call the Arizona Lottery Investigations Unit immediately at 480-921-4499 (Mon-Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).