BBB Alert: Powerball Text Scam

Columbus, OH (August 22, 2022) – Another text scam is making rounds in Central Ohio.

BBB has received numerous complaints about fraudulent texts stating that a powerball winner would like to “give back to 40 lucky persons.” In reality, it’s just an attempt to lure victims into revealing personal information.

Lee Anne Lanigan, BBB’s Director of Consumer Relations and Investigations, says this has circulated in the past but this time there’s a variation. “Usually, this type of scam uses the same names in their solicitation. This time, the scammers are changing names referenced in their texts, as well as possibly changing the phone number it’s coming from.” This change may make the text seem more authentic.

A verified screenshot illustrates the scam sent to a Columbus resident. (see image below)

People are in real need of money in today’s current economy. A lottery win, or even a donation from someone else’s, would be the ticket to needed funds and this may prompt unsuspecting victims to respond to the request, getting deeper in the scam. Lanigan says, “In this case they are asking for your name and address. If the victim responds, it’s likely the next request will be for a bank account number to deposit funds. But it will never actually be deposited.”

BBB reminds people to protect themselves from lottery scams:

.Be suspicious of irregular communications, especially via text, email, or phone.

.Don’t provide money or information to people that you don’t know or that promise you money in exchange. You will never have to pay upfront fees to claim a prize.

.If you are asked to prove your identity, it’s a scam.

.Always report scams to law enforcement or BBB Scam Tracker.

For more information, contact your local BBB (BBB of Central Ohio): https://www.bbb.org/bbb-directory if you are unsure of something that could possibly be a scam.