LANSING, February 1, 2006 - Michigan Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters is warning of a mail scam which falsely states that the recipient has won a prize in a Mega Millions lottery.

Citizens report receiving a letter that includes the Mega Millions logo and name in numerous references regarding a prize that has been won.  The letter, which includes a bogus check, has no connection whatsoever to the Michigan Lottery or the Mega Millions game.

"Lottery scams appear all too frequently and this one is particularly disturbing because it uses the name and logo of a legitimate game operated by legitimate lotteries in 12 states," Peters said.  "I urge all people who receive this letter, or any other correspondence from an alleged lottery, to ignore the instructions on it.  These scams are designed to take your money, not give you money.”

Peters said there are several ways to identify scams.

“A person cannot win a lottery without having purchased or received a lottery ticket.  And a lottery never asks you to send a processing fee to claim a prize, nor is there ever any “activation” process to claim a prize,” he said.

The notifications often include a fictitious company and the names and phone numbers of several people who work there, but when those numbers are called, a voice message is heard or there is no answer.  They sometimes include numbers from a winning drawing and a chart indicating which number matches pay which prize amounts.

Persons who have received this particular letter or any other scam letter should contact their post office and their local police agency.  If they wish to do so, they can file a complaint with the Michigan Attorney General’s office.

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