Monday, July 12, 2021
Our office has seen reports of North Carolinians being contacted and told they’ve won one of the $1 million dollar prizes in North Carolina’s “Your Shot at $1 Million” vaccine cash drawings. While the vaccine lottery is real, scammers are trying to take advantage of this lottery to steal the hard-earned dollars of North Carolinians.
How do I know it’s a scam?
The scammer may pretend to be from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) or the NC Lottery and will either call, text, or email to say that you’ve won $1 million. They’ll ask you to send money, gift cards, pay a fee, or make a donation to receive your prize. These are all scams – you never have to pay fees to win a prize.
NCDHHS will never ask you to send in money in exchange for your prize. NCDHHS will also not ask for, and you should not share, any of the following information:
- Credit card number
- Social Security number
- Driver’s license number
- Passport number
- Bank account numbers
If the scammer contacts you over text or email, they may ask you to click on a link to claim your prize. Do not click on links or download attachments from senders you don’t recognize – these are often phishing attempts to access your data.
Call our office at 877-5-NO-SCAM or file a complaint online at https://ncdoj.gov/complaint if you think you have been the victim of a scam.
How do I register for the real vaccine lottery?
There are still three more chances to win $1 million. If you’ve got your dose, you’re automatically entered to win. If you haven’t gotten a vaccine yet, find a vaccine location near you here. Learn more about the cash drawings here.