NLA cautions public against lotto fraudsters

The National Lottery Authority (NLA) is cautioning the public against the activities and operations of Lotto Fraudsters, Social Media Miscreants and illegal Lotto Operators and Agents.

These fraudsters and social media miscreants the authority says are using radio, television, online, newspapers, social media Platforms and other communication channels such as phone calls, text messages and email to defraud unsuspecting people.

A statement issued by the Public Relations Department of the NLA and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra at the weekend said: “some of these lotto fraudsters and social media miscreants have set up Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media pages using pictures and names of the Director-General and Staff of NLA to defraud people”.

“These fraudsters use clever tactics to convince the staking public to make Mobile Money Transfers to them in exchange for Winning Lotto Numbers”.

The statement said these lotto fraudsters are largely supported by some illegal lotto operators and agents and have consistently been misinforming the public of having access to NLA winning lotto numbers before draw and that patrons should not stake NLA products as they automatically know the numbers they have staked on the Machines and Point of Sale Terminals (POSTs) and the Authority will ensure that such Numbers are not drawn.

It said the Authority attention is also drawn that Alpha Lotto is using POSTs to charge commission above the Commission of NLA.

“The Authority would like to state that, NLA has not Licensed or authorized Alpha Lotto to use its own POSTs and Platform to generate branded electronic tickets, adding, Alpha Lotto POSTs are illegal and steps are being taken by NLA to stop that with immediate effect”.

The statement said the NLA has not authorized nor appointed any individual or group of individuals to offer winning lotto numbers to the public, since lotto is a game of chance and impossible to foretell winning numbers.

“Our staff have no knowledge and control over the outcome of draws as they are conducted in a very open and transparent manner and open to the Ghanaian public for witnessing at 6:30pm daily except Sundays and public holidays”.

It said it was absolutely false that NLA staff and the Lotto fraudsters have access to NLA winning lotto numbers and that products of the Authority are sold by Licensed Retailers (Lotto Marketing Companies) using POSTs approved by NLA to generate branded serialized electronic tickets as a proof of transaction to be used to redeem prizes of wins after draws.

According to the statement, the NLA is yet to introduce onto the market, its online lottery and that any form of online lottery currently operating is illegal and has no approval of the Authority.

It said the NLA shall not be responsible for any losses incurred by unsuspecting people who are defrauded by these lotto fraudsters, social media miscreants and illegal lotto operators and agents.

The statement however added that the NLA in collaboration with the relevant Security Agencies are taking pragmatic steps to help curtail the activities of these lotto fraudsters, social media miscreants and illegal lotto operators and agents.