Oregon Lottery officials issue fraud alert | News

“Some common warning signs of phishing scams include receiving an unsolicited message with a sense of urgency or a request for personal information,” said Justin Hedlund, deputy director of security for the Oregon Lottery. “We believe there are other scams out there trying to exploit the Powerball winner’s story, and it’s a red flag when something sounds too good to be true.”

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

If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, you can report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center: https://www.ic3.gov/. If you have received a suspicious text message, forward it to SPAM (7726) and report the phishing attempt to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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