In New York City, a new type of lottery scam is currently spreading on the streets, according to the New York City police. Scammers typically claim to have a winning lottery ticket but are unable to cash it in due to various reasons. They offer to share a portion of the winnings as a reward if the other party helps cash it in, but only after paying a sum of cash as a “guarantee deposit”. The police point out that these lottery tickets are in fact counterfeit and cannot be redeemed.
Once victims agree to help cash in the lottery ticket, they fall into the scammers’ trap. Recently, a 79-year-old woman was not only threatened with violence by scammers, but also forced to let them into her home, where they stole $27,500 in cash and jewelry.
Authorities warn the public to be cautious and avoid falling for scams promising to share lottery winnings.
The North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) warns never to cash lottery tickets for people you don’t know.
The New York Lottery also lists several common scams on its official website, including demands for upfront fees to claim prizes or receiving “winner notifications”. In reality, only registered users of the New York Lottery will receive official winner notifications.
New York officials also caution against cashing any check claiming to be from the New York State Lottery and requiring a “processing fee”.
Residents of New York who encounter similar scams can call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or report them online to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).