Warmer weather is finally making its way to Ohio, and we’re preparing for some new summer fun. Unfortunately, scammers are also working on new ways to collect private information.
This week, we learned of a new phone scam.
A Lottery player received a phone call from someone claiming he had won $2500 and needed to pick it up at 615 West Superior Cleveland by 6:00 pm or give the caller his bank information and they would deduct the taxes and direct deposit the money.
Even though the caller was using the Lottery’s address in Cleveland, the player was suspicious, so he didn’t share his information and called us instead.
The call he received was a scam.
If you receive a phone call like this, protect your personal information and do not share anything.
Even if you think it might be legitimate, you can call the Ohio Lottery’s customer service line to check it out.
Remember, if you did not enter a drawing or social media giveaway on our verified pages or buy a ticket, you did not win.
Here’s some helpful tips to protect your information:
- Unless you specifically entered a promotion or second-chance drawing sponsored by the Ohio Lottery Commission, you will never be contacted by us informing you that you have won a prize.
- Never accept a collect call from anyone claiming to be an Ohio Lottery official
- Keep your credit card and bank account numbers to yourself.
- Be sure you are on the Ohio Lottery’s official social channels when talking about the lottery online. Look for the blue check mark before interacting on social media. You can also find our official social media pages here:
- Our official Facebook handle is @OhioLottery
- Our official Instagram handle is @OHLottery
- Our official Twitter handle is @OHLottery
If you ever have a question about an email or call you receive claiming that you have won a large prize, contact our customer service line at 1-800-686-4208. You can find additional
Security Awareness tips on our website.