Michigan Lottery Warns Public About Rising Prize Scam

The Michigan Lottery is warning the public about a scam that is telling people that they have won a prize, but to retrieve it, they must pay a fee.

According to the official Michigan Lottery website, the scammers either send out a letter, email, or call them to notify them that they have won a lottery prize, and to collect, they must pay a fee. If the person agrees to pay the fee, the scammer tells them to mail in a cashier's check, make an electronic funds transfer, or set up a meeting to exchange the cash.

The Michigan Lottery wants the public to know that there are no fees associated with collecting a lottery prize.

"The Michigan Lottery processes all prize claims for free, and players must have a valid winning ticket to claim a prize. If you haven’t bought a Lottery ticket or played a Lottery game, there’s no way you could win a prize."

If the public wants to see if a lottery prize, offer or promotion is truly from the Michigan Lottery, they can contact the Lottery's Player Relations Division at 844-887-6836 or email  onlinehelp@michiganlottery.com.

A scam like this often comes up around the holidays. If you think you have been a victim of this scam, contact your local authorities.