Florida residents have lost more than $66.3 million to sweepstakes and lottery fraud in the past five years, more than any other state according to a new study.
The study by Vegas Insider analyzed Federal Trade Commission and state complaint data to find which states have been the most vulnerable to lottery scammers.
Nationally, Americans have lost more than $660 million in the last five years, with Florida making up nearly 10% of those losses.
Florida’s mix of retirement communities, tourism, and high lottery engagement creates prime conditions for prize-related fraud.
Its tourism and transient population provide scammers a steady stream of potential targets, while fixed-income households facing rising living costs are more likely to view a sudden prize as financial relief.
“Scammers are evolving faster than public awareness,” Vegas Insider Consumer Protection Analyst. “AI now makes it effortless to fake official voices, winning ticket numbers, and even local area codes. The best protection is education — if you didn’t enter, you didn’t win.”
How to Avoid the Trap
Vegas Insider’s Five Golden Rules of Real Winnings help consumers spot scams before they drain savings:
- If you didn’t enter, you didn’t win.Real prizes always begin with participation. If you never entered a drawing or contest, any message claiming you’ve won is a scam — no matter how official it looks.
- Fees equal fraud.Legitimate sweepstakes never ask for money upfront. Requests for “tax,” “processing,” or “verification” fees are a sure sign of a scam.
- Social media isn’t official: Authentic lotteries and casinos don’t notify winners by DM, text, or social post. Always check announcements on verified websites or through official email addresses.
- Pressure is the giveaway: Scammers create urgency — demanding you “act now” or keep your win secret. Real prizes don’t expire overnight, and genuine organizations never use threats or deadlines.
- Trust, but verify: If something sounds convincing, pause and confirm independently. Look up the company or lottery’s real contact information yourself — never use the number or link in the message.
