An Ajax senior is reportedly out just over $18,000 after falling victim to a lottery scam over the phone.
Clayton Willet was told that he had won $3.5 million and a 2021 Chrysler 300 in a lottery, CTV News reports. Willet had never entered a lottery as such but was instructed that in order to get his winnings he would first have to buy a $200 gift card and then pay taxes, customs fees, and more.
"They told me if I was to pay $3,000, they could have the car delivered here and the U.S. marshals would bring the money. Then when that was done, I had to come up with another $6,000. All-in-all I have invested $18,130," Willet told CTV News about the moment he realized he had fallen for a scam.
Narcity reached out to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation for some tips on how to point out a fake lottery scam. OLG told us they never reach out to lottery claimants.
"OLG does not contact lottery claimants until they contact OLG first – either by checking their tickets at an authorized lottery retailer or by calling the OLG Support Centre to make an appointment to claim their ticket at the OLG Prize Centre," a spokesperson of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation told Narcity via email.
"Also there are no fees to claim an OLG lottery ticket and no taxes are collected on lottery winnings in Canada," they continued.
OLG also provided some tips on how to avoid and identify lottery fraud and scams:
- You didn't buy a ticket
- You haven't heard of the lottery game
- You didn't register any of your personal information (like your name, email address, and credit card information) before you were able to buy a ticket
- You're not a citizen of the country that lotto is based out of
- You're asked to pay money up-front for fees or taxes in order to release your winnings
- You're told you must reply within a certain timeframe or the money will be passed on to someone else
This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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