(WXYZ) — Michigan Lottery is sending out a warning to the community over prize scams.
According to a press release, scam artists have targeted victims claiming to be lottery prize agents or prize winners.
Michigan Lottery noted that there are two types of prize scams:
• A person gets a letter, email or phone call to inform them that they’ve won a big lottery prize but must pay a fee to collect the prize. If the person agrees, the scam artist convinces them to mail a cashier’s check, make an electronic funds transfer, or even arranges a meeting to get the money in cash.
• A person is contacted by mail, email, or phone call by someone claiming to be a lottery prize winner. The scam artist tells the person they will share their prize if the person sends money to them. If the person agrees, the scam artist convinces them to mail a cashier’s check, make an electronic funds transfer, or even arranges a meeting to get the money in cash.
Prize claims are processed for free and players are required to have a valid winning ticket to claim a prize, according to Michigan Lottery.
"If you haven’t bought a Lottery ticket or played a Lottery game, there’s no way you could win a prize," Michigan Lottery states.
They said community members can check if a prize is legitimate by contacting the Lottery's Public Relations Division at 844-887-6836, option 2, or by emailing onlinehelp@michiganlottery.com.
