Michigan Lottery warns residents of prize scams amid coronavirus pandemic

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Lottery is warning the public of potential scams meant to obtain money or personal information from victims.

The lottery warns that there may be an increase in scams during a period of uncertainty.

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The public should be wary of scammers telling people they’ve won the lottery and need to pay a fee or provide personal information to collect their prize, the Michigan Lottery announced Tuesday.

Scammers will typically communicate through a letter, email or phone call to defraud an individual, officials said. Individuals should avoid giving out any personal or providing any payments to potential scammers.

According to the lottery, all prize claims are processed for free and a player must have a valid winning ticket to receive a prize.

Individuals can verify if a lottery prize, offer or promotion is legitimate by calling the Lottery’s Public Relations Division at 844-887-6836 or by emailing milottery@michigan.gov.

Scams can be reported to law enforcement entities.

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