California Lottery officials are warning players about common lottery scams, following an uptick in reports, made by both local law enforcement agencies and likely victims, to the California Lottery’s security and law enforcement team. Scam artists may pose as Lottery officials or claim connections to Lottery winners to steal money or obtain personal information.
A common scam starts with an unexpected, official sounding email, phone call, or message congratulating the recipient on “winning” a prize from the California Lottery. The message may claim the prize cannot be released until taxes, processing fees, or other charges are paid, and often pressures the recipient to act quickly.
This is a scam.
The California Lottery does not send unsolicited emails, direct messages, texts, or calls and never ask winners to pay fees or taxes in advance to claim a prize. Legitimate prizes can only be claimed after a player purchases a ticket and submits an official claim form through the California Lottery’s established process.
The California Lottery Security and Law Enforcement Division works with local and state authorities to investigate reports of criminal activity and to protect the integrity of Lottery operations. Scam tactics can involve impersonation of Lottery winners or representatives, false guarantees of winnings, or demands for payment up front to collect winnings.
The California Lottery never charges taxes or fees to claim a prize and never asks for money up front. A Lottery official would never contact a player about winning a prize before an official claim form is filed.
There is no way to win a California Lottery prize without playing a California Lottery game.
Never share credit card information, bank account information, Social Security numbers or other sensitive information with anyone claiming to offer Lottery prizes. Only purchase Lottery tickets from one of the over 23,000 authorized California retailers. California Lottery games are not authorized for sale online or through mobile apps.
Citizenship status is not a factor when it comes to winning and claiming a California Lottery prize purchased in person from an authorized retailer.
If you suspect any fraudulent activity or have questions about prize claims, they can all be reported to the Lottery’s customer service line at 1-800-LOTTERY (1-800-568-8379) Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or send an email to customerservice@calottery.com.
California Lottery prizes of significant value must undergo a standard claims review before payment. The process includes verification by Lottery security and law enforcement officials to ensure prizes are awarded to rightful winners. After the winner comes forward and the review is completed, a process that generally takes six to eight weeks, the prize is released.
