Lottery scam reported

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The South Dakota Lottery is urging players to avoid a scam that promises them a cash prize in return for personal information.

Lottery officials were notified by a player who received an email from an individual claiming to be with the “Powerball Company” and advising the player to provide personal information including Facebook and email account passwords to receive a $50,000 prize. The individual contacted was also told that a claim fee had to be paid before the money could be collected.

Lottery Executive Director Norm Lingle reminds the public that his agency does not make such demands.

“The Lottery doesn’t ask a winner to pay money upfront to claim a prize, nor do we request personal information such as passwords to your social media and email accounts,” Lingle said. “If you receive an email or Facebook message that is making such requests, it’s a scam and should be deleted immediately.”

Lottery prizes of $101 or more must be claimed at a Lottery office in Pierre, Rapid City or Sioux Falls using an official prize claim form. For more information on avoiding lottery scams, visit http://lottery.sd.gov/responsibly/scams/.

Tags: news, updates, lottery, state, scam, fraud