In recent weeks, many Wisconsinites have received text messages claiming that they have won millions in the Powerball lottery. The messages state that the recipient is the winner of a huge Powerball jackpot and provide instructions for claiming the prize money. However, the Wisconsin Lottery has confirmed that these texts are a scam and warns the public not to provide any personal or financial information in response.
What do the scam text messages say?
The fraudulent messages typically start off by congratulating the recipient and stating that they have won a prize of around $6 million in the Powerball lottery. Some examples of the text messages that people have received include:
- “Congratulations! You have won $5.9 million in the Powerball lottery. Please contact us immediately at [phone number] or [email address] to claim your prize money.”
- “We have verified that you are the winner of the recent $6 million Powerball jackpot. To begin paperwork to receive your winnings, contact us now at [phone number].”
- “You have been identified as the winner of $5.7 million in the Wisconsin Powerball! To claim your cash prize, call us now at [phone number].”
The phone numbers and email addresses included in the messages are not actually associated with the Wisconsin Lottery. The texts are carefully written to sound official, which tricks some recipients into thinking they are legitimate.
Are the messages real or a scam?
The Wisconsin Lottery has confirmed that these text messages are completely fake and part of a scam. The lottery stated that they do not contact players directly to inform them of prize wins, especially not over text message. Winners are always notified by phone or certified mail.
Here are some reasons why the texts are clearly a scam:
- The lottery does not contact winners via text message. Legitimate prize claims are always handled through phone calls and official mail.
- The messages are unsolicited, meaning the recipients did not enter or have any association with the lottery. Powerball winners are always real entrants in the draw.
- The texts were sent to people in areas with different area codes, not just within Wisconsin. This indicates a mass spam text campaign.
- The messages ask recipients to contact unfamiliar phone numbers and email addresses, not official lottery channels.
- There was no recent unclaimed Powerball jackpot even close to $6 million in Wisconsin.
Unfortunately, the reality is that nobody who received these texts actually won millions in the Wisconsin Powerball lottery. The texts are scams designed to trick people into thinking they won and giving up sensitive information.
How do the scammers profit from the texts?
The scammers behind these text messages are trying to steal people’s money and personal information. Here are some of the potential ways they profit:
- Asking recipients to pay an “advance fee” to receive the fake prize money. They may claim the fee is for insurance, taxes, processing charges, etc.
- Tricking people into providing bank account details to deposit the “winnings”, which the scammers can steal from.
- Getting copies of personal identification documents like driver’s licenses and passports to commit identity fraud.
- Charging fees to “qualify” the winner, provide legal paperwork, or transfer the winnings.
- Requesting access to the recipient’s online accounts or downloading malware onto their device when clicked.
The scammers use the lure of a big lottery prize to try to steal money from recipients or gain access to valuable personal data. Even just calling the phone number could result in expensive premium charges.
How prevalent are the scam texts in Wisconsin?
Over the last few weeks, the Wisconsin Lottery and local law enforcement have received numerous complaints about the fake Powerball winner texts from all across the state. Some reports estimate thousands of Wisconsin residents have gotten the fraudulent messages.
The texts appear to have targeted cell phone users in nearly every part of Wisconsin. So far, scam messages have been reported in major cities like Milwaukee and Madison, as well as smaller towns and rural areas.
The scammers seem to be sending the fake Powerball notifications to random phone numbers with Wisconsin area codes. In some cases, multiple cell phone users in the same household have received the texts. This indicates the scammers are using mass text spamming software and not specifically targeting individuals.
What steps is Wisconsin Lottery taking?
The Wisconsin Lottery emphasizes that it never contacts prize winners through unsolicited messages. Upon learning about the scam texts, the lottery issued a warning on its website for residents to be aware of the fraudulent messages.
Lottery officials have also cooperated with local law enforcement and the State Department of Justice to track down the source of the texts. However, so far the scammers have not been identified.
Some of the key steps the Wisconsin Lottery has taken to address the text scams include:
- Alerting lottery players through official channels like email newsletters and social media posts.
- Publicly stating these texts are 100% fake and that recipients should disregard them.
- Advising the public to report the scam texts to local police and consumer protection bureaus.
- Updating the lottery’s website with instructions on how real prize claims work, in order to further debunk the texts.
- Coordinating with law enforcement officials to identify and stop the scammers.
The Wisconsin Lottery emphasizes that winners of major prize drawings are always notified directly by lottery staff over the phone or by mail. Legitimate lottery winnings are never distributed via random, unsolicited texts or emails.
How to avoid being scammed
Here are some tips from consumer protection experts on avoiding being scammed by fake lottery and prize notifications:
- Be wary of any unsolicited messages claiming you won prizes, especially contact from unfamiliar numbers.
- Never pay any fees upfront to receive supposed lottery winnings. Real lotteries don’t require you to pay to collect prizes.
- Don’t give out any sensitive personal data like bank account, social security, or driver’s license numbers to questionable contacts.
- Don’t follow links or call phone numbers in suspicious prize notifications – look up official contact info instead.
- Contact the real lottery organization to confirm if a notification claiming you won is valid.
- Report fake lottery messages to the Federal Trade Commission and your local consumer protection agency.
- Set up call screening and block suspicious numbers that text lottery scams.
The most important rule is to remember that legitimate lotteries do not notify winners through unsolicited messages. Contact the lottery agency directly if you receive a suspicious notification claiming you won a prize.
Can you win money from the fake texts?
No, there is absolutely no way to win any money from the fraudulent Wisconsin Powerball winner texts. The messages are a scam through and through.
All major U.S. lotteries explicitly state that winners are only notified via phone calls from verifiable lottery staff numbers or official letters. Prize money is never distributed via random text messages.
No matter what claims the scammers make, they will never pay out real Powerball winnings. Any request for “fees” or personal details is just a scheme to steal your money.
The scammers do not have any way to actually get you Powerball winnings. They are simply using the lure of lottery millions to try to trick and defraud recipients.
Should you respond to the texts?
Consumer protection experts universally advise that you should not respond to any suspicious texts claiming you won the lottery. Calling, texting, or emailing the senders will often just lead to you getting scammed.
Some specific reasons you should not reply to the fake Wisconsin Powerball winner texts include:
- The scammers can use any response to confirm they reached a “live” number and target you for more scams.
- If you call them, they may add expensive service charges to your phone bill.
- Any information you provide can be used for identity theft and fraud.
- Responding could lead to more scam messages being sent your way.
- There is no chance of collecting supposed “winnings” by contacting the scammers.
The safest move is to simply ignore and delete the fraudulent text messages. Make sure to warn friends and family who reside in Wisconsin about the Powerball scams going around as well.
Reporting the scam texts
If you receive one of the fake Wisconsin Powerball winner texts, you should report it to the following agencies:
- Wisconsin Lottery – Contact customer support and forward the text.
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – File a complaint at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- Your local consumer protection bureau – Check with your city or county agency.
- Local police – Call your police department’s non-emergency number.
- Your cell phone provider – Some carriers allow reporting scam texts for blocking.
The more complaints that officials receive about the Powerball text scams, the better chance they have of tracking down the responsible scammers. Make sure to keep copies of any scam text messages as evidence.
You should also warn contacts in your phone, especially if they reside in Wisconsin, about the fraudulent lottery texts being sent around. This helps prevent others from potentially falling victim to the scams.
Are there legitimate lottery texts?
While the Wisconsin Powerball winner texts are completely fabricated, some lottery agencies do use text messaging for legitimate means. However, unsolicited texts about specific prize wins will always be scams.
Some examples of valid lottery text message uses include:
- Text alerts subscribers sign up for to receive general drawing reminders and results.
- Texts informing winners of smaller prizes like free tickets or entry into second-chance drawings.
- Optional texts to provide account balances for lottery membership programs.
- Notifications of changes to drawings, game rules, or contact information.
Reputable lotteries will never contact players via text about large prize wins. Those are always handled directly by phone and mail. Be wary of any surprise texts about specific big money wins.
Key tips for identifying Powerball scams
Here is a summary of the telltale signs that a supposed Powerball notification is a scam:
- It is an unsolicited text message from an unknown number.
- It claims you won a prize despite not entering the drawing.
- The supposed winnings are millions, which is far above average prizes.
- It asks you to contact unfamiliar phone numbers or email addresses.
- It requests personal details or upfront fees in order to collect winnings.
- It urges you to act quickly or risk losing the prize money.
- It is not addressed to you personally and uses a generic greeting.
Legitimate lotteries do not operate this way. The safest response is to ignore and report any texts with these red flags. Remember, you cannot win money by engaging with scammers.
Conclusion
The “You won the Wisconsin Powerball lottery” scam texts recently sent to thousands of Wisconsinites are completely fraudulent. The messages are unsolicited spam from unknown scammers hoping to defraud recipients.
No money can be collected from the fake texts. Any personal information given to the senders will only make you vulnerable to theft and fraud. The wisest course is to disregard the messages and report them to the proper authorities.
Legitimate lotteries never contact winners through random texts, calls, or emails. Confirm prize wins directly with the lottery organization if you receive any suspicious notifications. Avoid being fooled byPowerball scams using these best practices.