Fraudsters have designed new methods of duping the public through lottery, their preferred channels being social media, radio and targeted phone calls.
As a result of the heightened activities of the fraudsters, the National Lottery Authority (NLA) has issued a red alert to the public to be on the lookout for such criminals.
In recent times, the new mode of operation by the fraudsters has led to many more people ‘burning their fingers’.
According to the NLA, the logo of the authority in varying formats and the picture of the Director General Kofi Osei-Ameyaw are cleverly used by perpetrators in their criminal operations.
In some cases, the fraudsters pose as staff of the NLA and successfully convincing greedy persons to make mobile money transfers to them in exchange for so-called winning numbers.
The NLA statement has pointed out that the authority has not authorized or appointed any person to deal in winning numbers before draws, adding that “lottery is a game of chance and so impossible to foretell winning numbers before the draws.”
The NLA denied having social media accounts ? including Facebook, Twitter or belong to any WhatsApp groups ? as the fraudsters claim when they engage with their victims.
“Members of the public should note that the NLA has not designed a registration form for completion to access winning numbers,” the NLA said, adding that the outcome of draws “are conducted in a very open and transparent manner and always open to the public for witnessing at 6:30pm daily for original 5/90 and 7:30am daily for NLA VAG lotto except Sundays and public holidays.”
While pointing out that it is false that some persons have access to winning lotto numbers, the statement explained that “Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, the Director-General, is not on Facebook and other social media platforms.”
The NLA has urged the public to be vigilant and avoid such fraudsters as the authority would not be responsible for their plight.