The Oklahoma Lottery has issued a warning to Oklahoma residents alerting them to a new lottery scam.
In an announcement made on Friday, May 30, 2014, lottery officials stated the scammers contact potential victims by phone and try to deceive them into believing they have won a large prize in a Mega Millions Sweepstakes game.
After they have built up the hopes of their intended victim the scammers then try to coerce them into wiring money to cover taxes and other up-front charges.
Rollo Redburn, executive director for the Oklahoma Lottery Commission, said: "The lottery will never ask you to send an up-front payment in order to claim a prize. In addition, we don’t know the identity of Mega Millions jackpot winners until they show up in our office."
Any Oklahoma resident who believes they have been contacted by a lottery scammer is advised to contact the state Attorney General’s Office at 405-521-3921 or the Federal Trade Commission at 877-382-4357.
