In recent years there has been a surge in websites that offer international lottery games to players from all over the world. Most operate in one of two ways, either as online lottery agents or as lottery betting websites. The latter allow players to choose which number they want to play with and then place bets on their favorite numbers. The results of these bets are then displayed in real time on the site. The site also displays the winning numbers and the total prize payouts.
A number of scams are targeting consumers who play the international lottery. These scams often involve false announcements that the consumer has won a foreign lottery or sweepstakes, usually requesting banking information to “confirm” the win. While this type of solicitation is illegal in the United States, it still occurs and people are losing millions of dollars each year.
Many of these scams use the Internet to target consumers, who are often lured by promises of instant wealth. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns consumers to be suspicious of any unsolicited offers to participate in a foreign lottery or sweepstakes. The FTC advises consumers to never respond to any solicitations that claim they have won a lottery or sweepstakes prize from a foreign country, regardless of how the message is delivered. These types of solicitations are almost always a scam, and there is no secret system for winning them.