One of the most resilient scams we know about is the lottery scam. In 2019 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received nearly 125,000 reports of scams involving prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries that cost victims $121 million.

When someone calls or mails (or e-mails or texts…) to congratulate you for winning a big lottery, engage your inner skeptic. Remember, you can’t win a lottery you’ve never entered. And know that legitimate sweepstakes and lotteries will NEVER require you to pay an upfront fee.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.