Protect Yourself and Beware of Scams

For many, the best part of playing lottery games is imagining what it would feel like to “win the big one.” Unfortunately, criminals often target those with dreams of winning the lottery. It is important that you stay informed and practice some healthy skepticism to spot fake profiles, scams or phishing attempts to keep yourself safe.

These are the only ways you can win the Oregon Lottery

  1. Buy a ticket from an authorized retailer and play a game.
  2. Enter a non-winning Scratch-it online into a Second Chance drawing.
  3. Place a sports wager on the Draft Kings mobile app or website.
  4. Enter a promotional drawing for a giveaway by completing an entry form on our app or website.

That’s it! Quite simply, without one of the actions above, you cannot win an Oregon Lottery game or drawing.

Beware of these scams

Prize for Sale
Scam: You are told you won a prize, but you need to give them money to release it.
The Oregon Lottery will never ask you to pay a fee to access your winnings. Scammers often ask for payment via wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, which are difficult to trace.

Kindness of Strangers
Scam: Someone you’ve never met won a big prize and wants to share it with you.
People will sometimes share their wins with friends and family or causes they care about, but not with random strangers.

Winning Out of the Blue
Scam: You receive a message that says you won a prize without even playing a game or entering a drawing.
We do not give prizes away randomly. You must first buy a ticket or enter one of our promotional drawings on our app or website.

illustration of a red bullhornWarning Signs

Scammers try to lure people in by sending unsolicited:

  • letters
  • email
  • texts
  • phone calls
  • advertising
  • social media messages

They might use Oregon Lottery logos or signatures that aren’t real to make a solicitation appear “official.” Do not reply to these messages or click the links in them. Delete the messages, block the senders or report them using the tools provided on your device or channel. If you don’t remember engaging in any of the four Oregon Lottery activities described above, you didn’t win.

Watch out for people asking you for personal information like your Social Security number, bank information, or credit card number in these messages. They are trying to use this information to steal from you.

There are an increasing number of websites and mobile apps that market themselves as sellers or resellers of Oregon Lottery games, most often jackpot games like Powerball and Mega Millions as well as Scratch-its. The Oregon Lottery has not officially sanctioned or approved any of these services. If you use one of these services, research them online, practice caution, be mindful of the associated fees, subscriptions and understand their legal terms.

If you aren’t sure, contact the Lottery through our contact form or phone the call center (800-766-6789) and never respond to unsolicited messages.

Article: Fake Prize and Lottery Scams

Report it

Let us know if you have received an unsolicited message that looks like a scam. You can contact us through our online form or phone the call center (800-766-6789).

Look up or report a scam using the BBB Scam Tracker. Here you will find descriptions of reported scams and submit one that you suspect is a scam.

If you received a suspicious text message, forward it to SPAM (7726) and report the phishing attempt to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

If you believe you’re a victim of a scam, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.