Elderly Lost Life Savings in Lotto Scam: What is it and How to Protect Yourself

Imagine this: You receive a letter in the mail saying you’ve won the lottery. But… You never bought a ticket. It sounds too good to be true, right? This is the start of a fake lottery scam. Sadly, it's all too real for some.

The fake lottery scam is where scammers trick people into thinking they won the lottery. To claim it, victims are asked to provide their personal information and pay fees. To avoid it, you need to be skeptical of offers and recognize red flags.

In the US, people spent over $105 billion on lotteries in 2024. 1 out of 4 people play the lottery once a month. People do win with 7 out of 10 people winning $99 or less. But while some win, others get scammed instead. That’s what happened to an elderly in Florida.

An 85-year-old from Daytona Beach Shores was tricked into thinking she had won $1 million in the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes.

The culprits, Shania Baptiste and two others told the senior that she won but had to pay taxes and other fees to claim the prize.

Convinced and excited about the winnings, the elder tried to send $20,000 twice. With each new payment, the scammers reassured her that her prize was just around the corner.

Initially, the bank warned the senior and said that sending money for taxes and fees to claim a prize was a scam.

So, the scammers told the elderly to send the money through a different bank, claiming that the funds would be sent to a family in New York.

In the end, the scammers were able to steal over $35,000 from the elderly.

On February 19, Baptiste was extradited to Daytona Beach Airport.

Luckily, the Sheriff’s office was able to recover $20,000 and returned it to the senior.

The senior’s story isn’t unique.

Every year, thousands of people are victimized by fake lottery scams.

In East Boston, scammers expose their targets to an unknown substance and then promise lottery winnings if they withdraw money from a nearby bank.

Once you withdraw and give them the money, scammers will hand you a bag. When you open it, you’ll find that there’s no winning at all.

Generally, scammers prey on people’s vulnerabilities and the desire to win the lottery to secure a better future for themselves and their families.

Here’s the breakdown of the Fake Lottery process:

• Step 1 - Research and Targeting: Scammers often do background research on their targets. This includes sourcing contact information from data breaches, public records, or buying lists of people who have entered legitimate lotteries. Scammers also use social media platforms to get additional personal details.

• Step 2 - Contact: Scammers send unsolicited messages through email, phone calls, or social media. The message will claim you won the lottery. It will have official-looking logos, endorsements, and logos of well-known brands and organizations.

• Step 3 - Confirmation of the Prize: After the initial message, scammers will ask you to contact them to "confirm" their prize.

• Step 4 - Request for Money: Scammers will say that you should pay for stuff like taxes, processing fees, or legal charges before you can claim your prize. They will claim that it’s a standard procedure for all winners.

• Step 5 - Urgency: Scammers will claim that the lottery winning is only available for a limited time or that it will be forfeited unless you act quickly.

• Step 6 - Payment: Scammers will insist on non-refundable payment methods that are hard to trace, like wire transfers, gift cards, or money orders.

That’s the whole process of the scam.

In some cases, the scam continues with new requests for money. Scammers will continue contacting the victim and inventing new charges or fees. Scammers may provide documentation or fake receipts to make the requests look legitimate.

Victims may feel embarrassed to tell anyone about the payments, which allows the scammers to trap the victim and keep the scam going.

By the time the victim realizes it’s a scam, scammers will have already disappeared.

Victims may experience emotional distress, like feelings of shame, anger, or despair.

Victims also experience identity theft if scammers gather personal information during the scam. This can lead to further exploitation. For example, providing scammers with financial information gives them access to your bank accounts, allowing them to withdraw more funds.

You have to take preventative measures to avoid falling victim to the scam. These include:

• Being Always Skeptical of claims of lottery winnings. Remember: scammers love to trick people with too-good-to-be-true offers. Always check the legitimacy of the organization.

• Never Pay Upfront Fees just so you can claim a prize. Real organizations and lotteries don’t require people to pay in advance for prizes.

• Don’t Share Personal Information like your Social Security and bank account over the phone or online.

• Consult Your Family or Friends if you receive a suspicious message or offer so that you’ll have help in detecting the scam.

Another preventative measure you can take is recognizing red flags.

• Unsolicited Communication: If you suddenly receive a message about a lottery winning, be skeptical, especially if you didn’t buy a ticket.

• Upfront Requests of payment or information. No legitimate lottery will require you to pay before you claim the prize.

• Pressure Tactics. Remember that scammers often use pressure tactics like the creation of a sense of urgency to make victims likely to comply.

• Suspicious Payment Methods. It’s likely a scam if scammers ask you to pay through untraceable or non-secure payment methods like gift cards and wire transfers.

In summary, the lottery scam is a scheme where criminals target unsuspecting victims with fake lotteries, leading to financial loss and data theft.

That’s why it’s more important to stay informed, take preventative steps, and recognize the signs of a scam.

If you or someone you know suspects a lottery scam, report it immediately to local authorities or the Federal Trade Commission.

Stay safe and share this information to protect others from scams.

What is an Imposter Scam?

An Imposter Scam is where scammers pose as someone in authority and then contact people to trick them into providing money or information. They often use caller IDs to appear like the call is from an official government number.

What is a Charity Scam?

A Charity Scam seeks donations for a fake organization. Scammers use emails, crowdfunding platforms, cold calls, and social media posts to target a lot of people. To avoid this scam, you should do your research about the charity before donating.