But sometimes those words come from scammers who are trying to steal your money. This scam involves a letter from America Mega Million Lottery Sweepstakes announcing the recipient as a prize winner of a large sum of money in this lottery. Yet Americans keep trying. The period for claiming prizes is different depending on which state you purchased your ticket in. On average users reported $61233.86 of damages. Consumers educating consumers. be from the "Unclaimed Sweeps Advisory". account numbers (stolen), attempts to cash these checks could result in criminal charges. All lottery prizes are taxed at the federal level, and most states also tax lottery winnings. It sounded to good to be true, so I Googled to check this company, business and sure enough .there were a lot of another people who had similar experiences. In some states, the numbers are Quick Pick only. Also, be aware that some con artists use technology that allows them to disguise their area code: although it may look like theyre calling from your state, they could be anywhere in the world. America Mega Million Lottery Sweepstakes states that their offices are located in Las Vegas, Nevada and London, England along with global offices in Germany, Hong Kong, Ecuador, South Africa, France, Italy, Spain, and UK. Check the name of the lottery, as sometimes slight changes to a real lottery are used as a name, such as Massive Mega Millions or Mega Lottery. Consumers educating consumers., Complaints Reviews Scams Lawsuits Frauds Reported.. They often target older people and have been known to wipe out victims retirement savings. * If someone says you have won a lottery that you have never played, be suspicious. The fraudster calls the victim to notify them that they have won a large Mega Millions prize in the hope that they will agree to paying any 'fees' or 'taxes' to release the money. You can not charge a fee for prize payments made with cash, a business check, certified check, cashier's check or money order. If the person is fooled into thinking he or she has won a prize, the crooks usually try to get the person to wire money for taxes or fees. They may also try to get the victim to provide them with a bank account number, which they will then clean out. Mega Millions players have the option of purchasing tickets for draws in advance. The annuity option invests the cash lump sum in government bonds over 29 years, so it . Check out recent lucky locations over the past week. office of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Better Business These scammers are fraudulently using our name and our logo. And once a person is hooked, the scammer will keep asking for new fees to process the prize, but no matter how much the victim keeps paying, there is never a prize. Copyright 1997-2023, Ripoff Report. Yet even some jackpot prizes have also gone unclaimed by their winners over the years in both national lotteries. If your name or the name of your business is . Bureau of Southern Nevada. April 2022 Advisory - Be alert for Mega Millions scams! Consumers want to see how a business took care of business. If you engage them in conversation, your name and contact information could end up on a list thats shared with other scammers. Urging consumers to respond immediately by sending $20 in order to receive A check is enclosed with the letter which is supposed to be deducted from the total winnings and used to help pay for the documentation and tax fees. "confirmed prize" in the consumer's name; some mailers represented that A new scam has been identified that falsely uses the Mega Millions name. . This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 06/20/2017 10:07 AM and is a permanent record located here: All rights reserved. Something has gone wrong. Updated: They are then told to act immediately and follow a specific, often malicious, link to claim the prize. Also, be aware that some con artists use technology that allows them to disguise their area code: although it may look like theyre calling from your state, they could be anywhere in the world. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. * Mega Millions is only played in the United States. Below you will find a table of all the unclaimed Mega Millions prizes across the country. No representative of Mega Millions would ever call, text, or e-mail anyone about winning a prize. X | CLOSE. Has your experience with this business or person been good? A phone call, text message, or email says that you have won the Mega Millions lottery jackpot and asks for a fee to claim the prize. This is to make sure that the person who received the correspondence does not seek advice from others, which may expose the scam, or act quickly without logically thinking it through. Many of the letters also contain a check Attempting to cash an illegitimate check, even if made out to you, and even if If anyone has any questions regarding possible fraudulent activities and scams, please contact the Jo Daviess County Sheriffs Office at (815) 777-2141 or 800-373-7838. Matching it wins you at least $2. In other jurisdictions, the unclaimed amounts also may go toward specific purposes such as education funding. Ripoff Report Needs Your Help! It's illegal to ask you to pay or buy something to enter, or to increase your odds of winning. Why Ripoff Report will not release author information! Defendants named in the complaint, all Nevada-based, are. These are fraudulent notices of large cash entitlements or awards. If you receive a call or e-mail from outside of the U. S., or if youre told the prize is in pounds, euros, or anything other than dollars, that is a warning sign. These notices are typically mailed from Miami, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada, and claim the recipients will receive or are owed a large amount of money. often said to be worth more than $3 million, even though no prizes were awarded. Dont click on those slick Ads! * If you didnt buy an actual Mega Millions ticket, you havent won Mega Millions. A link to a website where prizes can be 'claimed' may also be included in the email, which could be used for 'phishing' personal information or installing spyware on the victim's computer, giving the criminal access to private information. assets. If it is from a foreign country, that is a red flag. You cant win a legitimate lottery if you didnt buy a ticket. America Mega Million Lottery Sweepstakes Division of Unclaimed Funds The main attraction of playing the lottery is that it gives you something for virtually nothing. Taking a cash lump sum payout can push you into a higher tax bracket. Mega Millions tickets cost $2.00 per play. Phone: 928-753-8808. which can be easily overlooked by the reader. You can also use our Mega Millions number checker. mailers mentioned "Authorization to Disburse" and referred to a "guaranteed The winning numbers for the jackpot drawing were 13, 36, 45, 57 and 67, with a Mega Ball of . It is only after victims have sent their own money that they discover the check they received is counterfeit. Read on for a brief history of this ever-popular game. chevron_left Home Error. www.ConsumerFraudReporting.org Please note: These results are unofficial. The table displays the draw date, the prize value, the location where the winning ticket was purchased and the days remaining to claim. Alternatively, where available, select to play Just the Jackpot. Many of the letters also contain a check made payable to the addressee. The Federal Trade Commission has charged some of the scammers in federal * No real lottery tells winners to put up their own money in order to collect a prize they have already won. Poor quality and incorrect grammar in a letter or email. You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing. There is no cost to search for your property or to file a claim. If you sign up for a contest or a drawing, you're likely to get more promotional mail, telemarketing calls, or spam. BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Who is ED Magedson - Founder, Ripoff Report. If you have to pay a fee to collect your winnings, you havent won. National Prize Information Group Corp. (NPIGC). Its the sixth number on your ticket, ranging between 1 and 25.