Osei Ameyaw, CEO of NLA
The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has observed heightened activities of fraudsters and unauthorized lotto operators in recent times, and has therefore cautioned members of the public to be wary of the miscreants.
These fraudsters and social media miscreants are using radio, television, online, newspapers and the various social platforms to defraud unsuspecting members of the public – a release from the Public Relations Department of NLA has stated.
Some of these lotto fraudsters and social media miscreants have set up Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media pages using pictures and names of the Director-General and staff of NLA to defraud people, NLA has said.
The fraudsters manage to convince people to part with money through mobile money transfers in exchange for so-called winning lotto numbers, NLA has observed.
According to the release, “the miscreants use illegal lotto operators and agents to convince people that they have access to winning numbers and so they should make some payments so that the numbers can be given to them.”
The NLA went on to announce that it had not licensed any agency to use its own machines (Point of Sale Terminals – POSTs) and platform to generate branded electronic tickets. Any agency doing so is acting illegally, adding that it is taking steps to seize all the machines of such companies or groups with immediate effect.
“NLA and its staff have no knowledge and control over the outcome of draws. Draws are conducted in a very open and transparent manner, and open to the general public. Every Ghanaian is free and welcome to witness and partake in the draw at 6:30pm daily except Sundays and public holidays. Anybody who creates a contrary impression is a fraudster and should be ignored,” the statement added.
Continuing, NLA stated “the products of the authority are sold by licensed retailers (lotto marketing companies) using POSTs approved by NLA to generate branded serialized electronic tickets as proof of transaction to be used to redeem prizes if anyone wins after the draw.”