While they're always out there, scams tend to ramp up at times when lottery excitement is high like it is right now with a record Powerball jackpot.
We always want you to be vigilant when it comes to protecting your personal information, so here are some tips to help you stay safe!
Scammers find many ways to contact you, including through social media, phone calls, and often emails.
Some helpful tips to protect your information include:
- The Ohio Lottery doesn't know the identity of a winner until they claim, so we will not contact a winner to notify them they won a game.
- You will never be asked to pay money in order to claim your prize.
- 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.
- If you're contacted on social media by an account claiming to be the Ohio Lottery, don't engage.
Remember, the Ohio Lottery's social channels are all verified, so look for the blue check mark next to our name.
You can 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.