Beware of Lottery Scams!

Congratulations, but hold on! While receiving an email informing you that you've just won some lottery game prize might surely make your day, don't let the excitement sweep you off your feet just yet.

A sudden message from someone you don't know—whether by email or phone—should raise your suspicion that the sender might be a scammer, especially when they claim you've won money.

This page will guide you on how to avoid lottery scams and highlight why theLotter FL is a safe and secure online lottery courier service.

No play, no gain!

If you didn't buy a ticket or participate in a lottery game, there's no chance that you've won any prize to begin with. Therefore, messages that sound too good to be true or claim that "you've been randomly selected" are likely a scam.

How else can you recognize scammers?

Scammers often pose as affiliates of state or national lottery organizations or well-known businesses. They may use real organizations' logos to appear genuine. The truth is, legitimate lottery games organizations will never contact winning ticket holders in such a manner.

How to protect yourself?

  • Never make a phone call to "verify a win."

  • Don't respond to any suspicious emails or open links within them.

  • Misspellings and grammatical errors are often signs of fake win notifications.

  • Don't disclose personal or financial information to claim a lottery prize.

  • Never give out your personal details, contact information, bank account, credit card information, or Social Security number over the internet or to someone you don't know.

  • "Winning tickets" can't be sold; don't buy them from others or collect them on their behalf.

  • Only you can collect prizes under your name; never let others do it for you, and vice-versa.

  • Don't fall for so-called jackpot winners who invite others on social media to share their prize money.

theLotter FL is safe

Your private account at theLotter FL including the Social Security numbers and financial information you provided upon registration and deposit, is safe and secure.

When theLotter FL notifies you—by email or SMS—that you won a lottery prize, you can login to your account and verify the winning notification yourself. theLotter FL contacts you not as a representative of an official lottery organization, but rather as the lottery courier service that fulfilled your ticket order. We charge a service fee for buying your tickets and you can choose how you wish to be contacted in case of a win by adjusting the notification settings in your account on the site.

We will transfer prize money from secondary winnings (prizes under $600) to your online lottery account as soon as we receive it from the official lottery operator. When you win larger prizes of more than $600, we will arrange for you to receive your winning ticket so that you can claim your prize at Florida Lottery offices yourself.

We will never charge you a fee or take a commission on your lottery prize.

For more information

The Federal Trade Commission has more information on fake lotteries and other scams on this page. You can also call toll-free: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). Please report any suspected scams to the Florida Lottery's Division of Security at (850) 487-7730.

Read more on Player Protection here.

If you are a victim of a lottery scam

Report any attempted scam to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or at the FTC Consumer Information website.

You have the power to avoid lottery scams

Please take all necessary steps to protect yourself from falling victim to a lottery scam. For more information, check the tips from the Florida Lottery. If you have been the victim of a scam, contact your nearest Florida Lottery office or the Division of Security.