Scammers are once again preying on consumer trust by impersonating credible institutions—this time, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) itself. This week’s spotlight features a fraudulent robocall campaign falsely promising multimillion-dollar lottery winnings through Publisher’s Clearing House and Mega Millions sweepstakes.
At the heart of the scam is a message designed to excite and alarm. The caller claims you’re the rightful winner of a massive prize – $5.5 million, a weekly $7,000 payout for life, and even a brand-new 2024 Mercedes Benz or Tesla Cybertruck. But before you can claim your reward, there’s a catch: you must call back with a specific “claimant code.”
The goal? To trick victims into giving up personal information, or worse, send money to secure a prize that doesn’t exist.
The Call Script
Here’s the full transcript from one of the robocalls:
“This is an important notice from the Federal Trade Commission. We were notified by the Bank of America about your unclaimed winnings at the Publishers Clearing House and the Mega Millions Lottery Giveaways, which is a total of $5,500,000 and a set for life, valued at $7,000 weekly for life, plus a 2024 Mercedes Benz or the new Cybertruck. This check is two months old and needs to be claimed for delivery or renewal due to state charges. The sweepstakes company reported attempts to contact you without success. If the check is canceled, the funds return to the company. Please contact us immediately. Get a notepad and pen for your claiming code and number. Ready? 3… 2… 1… Your claimant code is 101991. The toll-free number is (866) 454-7365. Again, (866) 454-7365. Call now to claim your prize. Congratulations on your newfound wealth.”
Why It’s Dangerous
This scam goes beyond wishful thinking. It uses:
- The credibility of federal agencies like the FTC
- Popular, recognizable names like PCH and Mega Millions
- Urgency through fake expiration timelines and unclaimed funds
- A realistic-sounding prize structure and support script
Falling for this type of scheme can lead to significant consequences. Victims may be asked to pay “processing” or “tax” fees up front or may provide sensitive information under the illusion of legitimacy. In either case, they risk identity theft, financial fraud, and persistent scam targeting in the future.
What You Should Know
This scam was first detected by YouMail on April 24, 2023, and remains active across multiple states. It has a fraud score of 0.7, indicating a high likelihood of malicious intent.
Top Affected States:
Most Frequently Used Numbers:
Scammers frequently rotate numbers to avoid detection, but the message stays largely the same.
Alternative Audio Samples: Listen to the scam call here:
How to Stay Protected
If you receive a call like this:
- Do not call back. No government agency, including the FTC, will ever contact you by robocall to give you lottery winnings.
- Never share personal or financial information based on an unsolicited phone message.
- Report the call to the FTC via ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
YouMail’s robocall protection tools help flag and block these kinds of calls before they ever reach your phone. Our network automatically identifies high-risk numbers, provides fraud scores, and adds them to our community blocklist.
Ready to stop scams before they start?
Download YouMail today and take back control of your phone.
