Lottery scammers are using my name to steal your money
No, I'm not sending you $200,000.
An online scammer either got lazy, or wanted to try a new tactic when they started using my name as part of a common lottery scam.
The Michigan Lottery issued a warning this month about two common scams that resurface from time to time, including the kind that's using my name (Tanya Wildt).
The scam usually begins when a person is contacted by mail, email, text or phone call by someone claiming to be a lottery prize winner, according to the Michigan Lottery. The scam artist tells the person they will share their prize if the person sends them money. If the person agrees, the scam artist convinces them to mail a cashier’s check, make an electronic funds transfer, or even arranges a meeting to get the money in cash.
In my case, it appears a scammer has found recent stories I've written about Michigan Lottery winners, and instead of using the winner's name for the scam, has been using my name to lure victims.
I've been contacted by people via email telling me I'm offering them money.
The text message one person received said:
"i'm Mrs Tanya Wildt the Michigan winners of $500 Million in Michigan Jackpot winners; I'm donating the sum of $200,000 USD to 50 random individuals. If you get this message then your number was selected after a spin ball, Kindly text the agent incharge ..."
The message's poor grammar and request to text the agent are both red flags.
A different person alerted me after a scammer contacted them pretending to be a lottery winner I'd written about recently. Unfortunately, they said they fell for the scam and had to change their phone number and close their bank account.
Another alert came from someone trying to verify that same recent winner was in fact offering them money. They asked me to verify the winner's intention and give information about her circumstance. I quickly warned them it was a scam.
More:Where the biggest Michigan Lottery prizes were sold in November
AARP fraud expert Amy Nofziger recently told Free Press Personal Finance Columnist Susan Tompor the criminals will sometimes use the names and pictures of winners in messages or posts, too. When the recipient of the message researches the name, they discover that person really did win the lottery and it makes the scam message feel more legitimate.
The other type of scam the Michigan Lottery warned about involves a person getting a letter, email, text or phone call to inform them they've won a big lottery prize, but must pay a fee to collect it. If the person agrees, the scam artist convinces them to mail a cashier's check, man an electronic funds transfer or arranges a meeting to get the money in cash, according to the Michigan Lottery.
The Michigan Lottery reminded people that it "processes all prize claims for free, and players must have a valid winning ticket to claim a prize."
"If you haven’t bought a Lottery ticket or played a Lottery game, there’s no way you could win a prize," according to the Michigan Lottery.
To check if a lottery prize, offer, or promotion is legitimate, the public can contact the Lottery’s Player Relations Division at 844-887-6836, option 2, or via email at onlinehelp@michiganlottery.com.
And in case my name is used in this scam again, know that if I were to win $500 million, I would not be sharing it with strangers and my Free Press email address would definitely no longer be valid.
Free Press Personal Finance Columnist Susan Tompor contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Lottery scam alert: Winners aren't offering you money
