Watch CBS News

Scammers Looking To Make Money With Fake Winning Lottery Email

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A dollar and a dream can become a nightmare.

The promise of millions from the New York Lottery attracts players and their hopes for quick cash attract scammers, like the con artists behind an official-looking email, complete with the New York Lottery logo.

"The first thing you see is 'Congratulations!' so you're going to want to read it. You probably thought that you got something; you won money," Yonkers resident Jamie Boykin told CBS2's Tony Aiello.

The lottery is warning it's a scam that promises big money if you'll only wire a fee to an agent overseas first.

"Anytime somebody offers you to get rich quick by giving them money first, whatever the story is, it's not true," Claire Rosenzweig with the Better Business Bureau said.

It's the same type of lottery scam that has taken thousands of people across the country, mostly seniors, for millions of dollars.

"We thought we were really going to win," one woman said.

"They're slick, they're very slick," another man said.

Lottery scammers are creative and persistent — case in point: Alvin Summers.

The Queens District Attorney's office put Summers away in 2009 after he created fake scratch-off tickets that appeared to be $10,000 winners then sold them for a few thousand dollars, claiming he couldn't cash them in because he owed child support.

Summers was busted last week in Connecticut for allegedly doing it again.

But why do so many people fall victim to these scams?

"I guess because they're desperate, you know?" Boykin said.

Lottery officials are anxious to warn potential victims that there is no shortcut for lottery winnings.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.