The Powerball jackpot has risen to an estimated grand prize of $1.25 billion as of Wednesday night. However, if you’re planning on playing the lottery to try to win your millions, there’s a new scam you should be aware of.
Khalid Jones, executive director of the Virginia Lottery, said the newest scam they’re alerting the public to states that you can win a $5 billion Mega Millions jackpot by following a link sent to you on social media.
“It’s still sort of bold and striking, smacking me in my face every time I look at it,” Jones said. “This is something that is just clearly erroneous from the start.”
Jones said one of the biggest red flags is the fact “there’s no such thing as a guaranteed winner.”
He also said that the amount of money is clearly not right.
“They talk about a $5 billion jackpot. Mega Millions, the largest jackpot in the history of any game in America, has only been a little bit north of $2 billion,” he said.
Jones recommended authenticating a real Mega Millions ticket by going to a Virginia Lottery retailer and making sure you see the proper logo.
“The foolproof way is … you see those interlocking fingers, and you walk into the store, and they’ve got they got our tickets in there. Then, you know you’re playing someplace that is ours,” he said.
He said you can also play online but make sure you’re on the right website.
“If it’s not your retailer, and it’s not on your phone at VAlottery.com or on your computer, then it’s not us,” Jones said. “We put a notice immediately up on MegaMillions.com, and just started really going after getting this taken away.”
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