News : Attorney General Bird Warns of Sweepstakes Scams

Attorney General Brenna Bird is warning of sweepstakes and prize scams.

Lottery scams occur when people are told they've won a sweepstake or prize, and they have to make a payment to receive it.

Last fall, the Iowa Attorney General's office saved a central Iowa couple $16,340.18 that they sent to a scammer through the mail. The scammer called the 72-year-old husband and told him that he won a Publishers Clearing House prize of $3.5 million, plus $5,000 a week for life. But to receive the prize, the man was instructed to pay more than $16,000 upfront in fees and taxes. The man then went to the bank, got a cashier's check, and sent the check via express mail to a Miami address that the scammer gave him. When the man's wife and daughter learned what had happened, the wife called her son-in-law for help. The son-in-law was at a training for Iowa county attorneys where he discussed the scam with an investigator from the Iowa Attorney General's office. The investigator immediately worked with a local postal inspector to intercept the package, which was returned to the Iowa couple.

"Con artists contact victims and convince them they've won a trip or a car, and claim the victims have to pay a fee to claim their prize," said Attorney General Bird. "But if you win a prize, you shouldn't have to pay for it. We are dedicated to protecting hard-working Iowans from predators who exploit them in order to steal from them. I encourage Iowans to be aware and remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is."

How to protect yourself from lottery scams:

• Scammers call, text, email, or mail to notify you that you won the lottery, a sweepstakes, or a prize.
• Scammers demand upfront payments to collect your winnings or pay related taxes/fees.
• Scammers send emails or texts requesting personal/financial information for you to claim lottery wins or prizes.
• Scammers impersonate lottery officials or pretend to be from well-known companies that run sweepstakes to sell fake tickets or entries, demand money, or get your personal/financial details.
• Never provide personal or financial information over the phone or email to someone unknown for alleged lottery or prize winnings.
• Report suspicious activity to the Iowa Attorney General's Office or local law enforcement.
• If you or someone you know has been targeted by a lottery scam, contact the Iowa Attorney General's office at 888-777-4590 or file a complaint online: https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/for-consumers/file-a-consumer-complaint.