Oregon Lottery officials issue scam alert

The World, Coos Bay, Ore.
·1 min read

Jun. 4—Following news of the $1.3 billion Powerball win in Portland this April, Oregon Lottery officials are urging the public to beware of scams and phishing attempts associated with jackpots.

Over the weekend, a text message was circulating that falsely promised the Powerball winner was donating prize money to 10 citizens chosen at random, according to Oregon Lottery officials. The text asked those receiving the message to call a phone number to claim the winnings.

"Some common warning signs of phishing scams include receiving an unsolicited message with a sense of urgency or a request for personal information," Oregon Lottery Assistant Director of Security Justin Hedlund said. "We expect there may be other scams out there trying to leverage the Powerball winner's story, and it's a red flag if something seems too good to be true."

Oregon Lottery will never ask you to pay a fee to access your winnings, according to Hedlund.

If you believe you're a victim of a scam, you can report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center: https://www.ic3.gov/. 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.

History

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned nearly $15.5 billion for economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery, visit www.oregonlottery.org.