Safety, Legitimacy & Scams · Updated 2026-06-09

Common NY Lottery Scams

Short answer: Frequent scams include "you won a foreign lottery" emails, fake claim agents asking for fees up front, and social-media impersonators. The NY Lottery never asks for fees to release a prize.

Reviewed by Tom Whitaker, Compliance Reviewer · 2026-06-09

Details

"You won a foreign lottery you never entered" emails or letters.
"Pay a tax/processing fee up front to release your prize" — never legitimate.
Direct messages from fake "lottery winners" promising shared winnings.
Phone calls demanding gift cards or wire transfers to claim a prize.

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This guide is informational, not legal or tax advice. Always verify requirements with the official NY Lottery before submitting a winning ticket.Data sourced from nylottery.ny.gov and NY Open Data. Independent, non-commercial project. Play responsibly — NY Problem Gambling · 1-877-8-HOPENY.