South Africa’s NLC warns public of fake lottery win notifications
The NLC warns that the message is a phishing attempt and not associated with the commission.
South Africa.- The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) has issued a warning to the public about a scam involving fake lottery win notifications. The fraudulent message falsely claims that recipients have won a lottery and demands they send their personal details, including full names, to [email protected] to collect their “winnings”.
The NLC warns that the message is a phishing attempt and not associated with the commission. Also, the email address being used is not a valid contact. The lottery regulator clarifies that it does not run lotteries or contact winners directly to request personal information through unofficial emails.
Established in accordance with the Lotteries Act 57 of 1997, as amended, the NLC is charged with the sole responsibility of regulating the national lottery, other lotteries and sports pool in South Africa. It also apportions the revenue from the National Lottery to good causes through the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF). The NLC does not sell lottery tickets or operate lottery games. This is handled by the designated national lottery operator, currently Ithuba, which will be replaced by Sizekhaya next year.
The commission advises the public to be cautious and not respond to such messages, as they are likely designed to steal personal information. This isn’t the first time such scam messages have surfaced; the NLC issued a similar warning a few months ago about a different email used in a similar scam.
