Kansas resident falls for lottery 'imposter scam'

TOPEKA (KSNT) - The Office of the Kansas State Treasurer is spreading a warning Thursday of a scam which involved impersonating a government official.

The treasurer's office issued a press release on July 18 of a recent incident in which a Kansas resident fell for a scammer who called claiming to be an employee for the Kansas State Treasurer. The victim believed he had won a large sum of cash from the lottery and that, in order to collect the money, he would need to deposit a payment.

The scammer told the victim he needed to wire funds and load money onto a gift card once the payment was received. The caller then told the victim he would get a visit from the Kansas State Treasurer at his home with the winnings.

“Imposter scams are a rising trend in Kansas,” said State Treasurer Steven Johnson. “Kansans should be aware that the State Treasurer’s office is not involved in the delivery of lottery winnings.”

Scams involving people impersonating government officials are increasing and may involve calls, texts or emails, according to the treasurer's office. Scammers make use of caller ID to deceive victims.

The treasurer's office reminds Kansans that any request to make a payment in order to receive funds is most likely a fraud. Requests for payment using gift cards is never a legitimate method a government entity would use.

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