Who hasn't dreamed about winning the lottery? Being able to pay off all of your bills would feel pretty amazing. There are lotteries in nearly every state and they are very lucrative due to the amount of people who play them on a weekly basis.
While having a dream of winning the lottery is normal, there are some instances when the desire to hit it big may cloud your judgment. This type of clouded judgment is just what a scammer is hoping for when they send you a Facebook Powerball text.
Variations of the Powerball Text Phone Scam
The first variation of this scam involves a text of Facebook message from a company who claims to handle all of the prizes for the Powerball jackpot. They will inform you that you have been chosen to receive upwards of $50,000 in Powerball prizes.
All you have to do to claim the prize is to give them your Facebook login and password to verify you are the rightful owner of the account. Once they have these passwords they will be able to post spam from your account.
The next variation of this scam will start with a text from a person claiming that they have just won the Powerball jackpot and are looking to spread the wealth. In order for them to make this contribution, they will need to get your personal information. Handing over your personal information to an unknown person is never a good idea.
Once scammers have your personal information, they will be able to steal your identity and wreak havoc with your finances.
How to Stay Away From This Scam
The first thing you need to remember is that to win a PowerBall, Mega Millions, or other lottery you first need to buy a ticket. And that even if you have a lottery ticket a person will never text or call you to say that you have won. They have no way of knowing who a winner is until they come forward.
You also need to remember that there is never a time when you should give out personal information to someone who has contacted you in an unsolicited manner. If you receive a text saying that you've won the lottery be sure to block the number immediately.
Sharing the Information You've Learned
The best way to beat these types of phone scams is by warning others and reporting them to the Federal Trade Commission. You can warn others about lottery phone scams and run searches on suspicious numbers with CallerSmart's caller ID app for iPhone. If you don't have an iPhone you can still search unknown phone numbers and leave your feedback to help others in our free online telephone directory.