RALEIGH, N.C. (WAVY) — The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office is warning residents about a scam regarding the COVID-19 vaccine lottery.
The AG’s office says they have seen reports of residents being contacted and told they’ve won one of the $1 million dollar prizes in North Carolina’s “Your Shot at $1 Million” vaccine cash drawings.
Although the vaccine lottery is real, officials warn that these messages are not.
The main warning sign to be on the lookout for is when the messenger asks for a fee or a donation to redeem the price. Officials say the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) will never ask residents to send in money in exchange for the prize.
NCDHHS will also not ask for, and you should not share, any of the following information:
- Credit card number
- Social Security number
- Driver’s license number
- Passport number
- Bank account numbers
If the scammer contacts you over text or email, they may ask you to click on a link to claim your prize. Do not click on links or download attachments from senders you don’t recognize – these are often phishing attempts to access your data.
Call our office at 877-5-NO-SCAM or file a complaint online HERE if you think you have been the victim of a scam.
