A ferocious scam is making a comeback, thanks to artificial intelligence and other modern-day techniques like caller ID and social media messaging.
Like some fine wines, some scams improve with age.
Take the lottery/sweepstakes scam. That’s the one where someone calls you on the phone or sends a text or an email informing you of good news: you have won a lot of money in a lottery.
But …
Watchdog Alert
To get your huge winnings you must pay a finder’s fee, or a tax or processing fee, insurance, verification — whatever they call their made-up charges. After you pay, and only then, will your alleged earnings come your way.
How much?
Zero.
Huge losses
During a five-year period ending this year, the total losses this way in Texas were almost $37 million. The average loss to victims was $1,400.
This comes to us via VegasInsider.com, which studies consumer behavior and financial risk. The goal is to help Americans distinguish “real opportunity from costly deception.”
According to their study, Texas ranks 11th in the nation in victimization.
VegasInsider spokesperson Amy Harris said in a statement, “AI has made it easy for scammers to mimic a Texas Lottery official’s voice and use caller ID. That combination is driving larger losses in Texas.”
She adds rule #1: “If someone asks you to pay a fee to claim winnings, it’s a scam. No real lottery or sweepstakes charges a winner anything.”
Seems simple enough.
Yet Steve Benton, anti-scammer go-to guy in Dallas, lays it out. By the age of 65, one in every 10 seniors in Dallas will suffer some sort of loss of cognitive ability. When a senior turns 85, it’ll be one out of every three.
Benton is surprised that people keep falling for this scam.
Victims “never connect the dots that they’ve won the European lottery — and they never did enter the lottery.”
Your area code?
Could you get one of these phone calls?
VegasInsider says scammers use these area codes in Texas to spoof callers — 214, 469, 817, 512, 210 and more.
In the five years studied (2020 to 2025), the total loss nationally for this kind of fraud was $660 million. But remember, because of shame and embarrassment, most of these crimes go unreported.
“The patterns are already the same,” the study found. “Urgency, secrecy and pressure to act fast. Real winnings never need that.”
“Scammers borrow gaming language,” it continues. “Jackpots, winnings, congratulations—but the game is rigged.”
I like their study because they contacted all the keepers of the statistics from the FBI, Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, the Identity Theft Resource Center and others.
Scam prevention
Benton is a financial analyst for Dallas’ Elder Financial Safety Center, which partners with The Senior Source to protect older adults. The organizations work with the Dallas district attorney’s office and probate courts.
“The sophistication of scammers is just getting incredible,” he marvels. He’s hardcore: “Distrust everything. Never answer the phone. Never respond to the text.”
“At least we weren’t number one,” he said of the survey.
If you’re wondering, who was tops (in a bad way)?
Poor Florida.
Note: Benton will speak to groups with more than 25 attendees. Contact him through the Senior Source at 469-382-4752.
In the Know
If you didn’t enter, you didn’t win. Every legitimate prize starts with your participation. No entry means no payout — ever.
Fees equal fraud. Real sweepstakes never ask for verification, processing or delivery fees.
Social media is not official. No genuine lottery or giveaway notifies winners through DMs, texts or social posts.
Pressure is a tell. Urgency, secrecy or “act now” language is a classic scam tactic — real winnings don’t expire overnight.
Trust but verify. Always confirm prize notices on the official site — never through the link or phone number in the message.
Source: Vegas Insider