This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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Dream Lottery has been made aware that there is a “phishing” scam that has been using the Dream Lottery identity. Dream Lottery and the participating hospital foundations want to warn the public of this unfortunate attempt to use the lottery’s legitimate identity in this scheme.
The persons responsible used information such as ticket purchase locations that are easily found in advertising and on the lottery website, in order to sound legitimate. In this latest reported case, the alleged perpetrators randomly call phone numbers until they find someone who confirms that they did purchase a Dream Lottery ticket at the location cited.
Lottery officials were contacted by a Strathroy resident who had received a call like this, informing him that his ticket was a winner. The caller said the Strathroy resident had purchased his ticket at a local Shoppers Drug Mart store. To claim his “prize” of a Mercedes car, the Strathroy resident was told an $800 administrative fee had to be made in order to claim the prize and that the fee had to be wired to a California address.
The Strathroy resident became suspicious when an additional $2,000 was demanded. The resident contacted the store where he learned that there were at least two other complaints of callers demanding payment of administration fees. The Strathroy resident then contacted Dream Lottery where it was confirmed that he was not a winner and that no administration fees are ever charged for prize claims. There were also no Mercedes cars offered as prizes in the recent lottery.
The Strathroy resident was advised to contact his local police and to also report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Dream Lottery wants to warn the public about this incident and offers the following advice and information:
1) Phishing scams rely on the unauthorized use of identifying logos and information from official websites to try and fool people however; callers typically don’t have information that can help identify them as fraudulent. For instance, if asked, they very likely will not be able to recite the number that appears on your ticket.
2) If you didn’t buy a ticket, you cannot win. Some scams will use a known lottery identity and will claim to have drawn your phone number or e-mail address in order to award your prize. These calls are also likely not legitimate and an attempt to commit fraud.
3) If you are ever in doubt that a call from a lottery is legitimate, visit the lottery’s official website and call the official contact numbers. The website address and phone numbers are usually listed on lottery tickets. Dream Lottery does list this information on their tickets.
4) Lotteries in Canada do not require the payment of additional fees (once a ticket has been purchased) in order to claim a prize.
6) Dream Lottery has already contacted all winners. You can also check to see if you are a winner by visiting the lottery website at www.dreamitwinit.ca to check the prize winners list.
7) Dream Lottery is administered in Ontario and regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Tickets are not sold or mailed outside Ontario. Contacts from outside of Ontario, Canada claiming to represent the lottery are not legitimate.
8) Report scam and fraud attempts to local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at
www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
9) For more information on how to avoid fraud and phishing scams visit www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/prize-prix-pitch-gagne-eng.htm and www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
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