Several consumers from both Canada and the United States have indicated that they’ve received an e-mail stating that they have won a lottery prize from Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC). Although the e-mail appears to be from a WCLC representative, and it has a link to our website, wclc.com, it is not legitimate and the e-mail is not from WCLC.  If you’ve received such an e-mail, please ignore it and do not – in any way – provide funds or information to the contact name in the e-mail.

Here are some additional tips that may assist you with false solicitations.

Identifying Lottery Scams

If you’ve received an e-mail, a letter, or phone call indicating you’ve won a lottery prize – even if it appears to be from WCLC (or another lottery organization) – but you didn’t buy a lottery ticket in the region, please exercise caution as it is a scam.

Important: If you are concerned that you have been the victim of a lottery scam, contact your local police and PhoneBusters (1-888-495-8501 or info@phonebusters.com), an anti-fraud task force comprising members of several Canadian police organizations, including the RCMP.

Here are some tips to help you identify Lottery Scams.  It’s a scam if…

  • You didn’t purchase a ticket or enter a contest in the Prairie Provinces and Territories.
    • If you didn’t purchase a ticket or enter a contest within our region, you would not be entitled to a prize. 
    • You can only win a prize on our games if you’ve purchased a ticket within our lottery jurisdiction, comprised of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon.
    • WCLC does not sell our products or solicit sales outside of our jurisdiction of the Canadian Prairie Provinces and Territories, nor do we authorize anyone to do so on our behalf.
  • You are informed that you’ve won a lottery prize even though you didn’t purchase a lottery ticket or a Subscription through WCLC.
    • With the exception of individuals who have purchased a lottery Subscription through WCLC or entered into a promotional contest within our region, WCLC does not know who winning ticket holders are until tickets are presented to us for prize claim.
  • You are asked to pay taxes or fees to claim a prize.
    • Do not, under any circumstances, send money or personal or financial information to someone making such a request of you.
    • Lottery prizes in Canada are not taxable, and no taxes or fees of any kind have to be paid to Canadian authorities on legitimate lottery winnings in Canada. 
  • You are provided with a cheque from a third-party organization to assist with paying taxes or fees. 
    • No payment or fees are required to claim lottery prizes in Canada.  
    • Do not cash such cheques as they are likely forgeries and will bounce.  If you choose to attempt to cash the cheque, exercise extreme caution and confirm with your bank that there will be no financial or legal repercussions or costs if it doesn’t clear.
  • You are instructed to not tell anyone about your “win” or else you will be unable to claim your prize.
    • If you had won a real prize from WCLC, sharing the news about your win with family, friends and others would not disqualify you from being entitled to a prize.

What should I do if I am contacted by someone who indicates I’ve won a lottery prize from WCLC even though I haven’t purchased a ticket?

  • Simply disregard the request – throw the letter away, delete the e-mail, or hang up the telephone.
  • If you want to inform WCLC about the matter, you can contact us by:
    • Phone: 1-800-665-3313 (Canada only) or 204-942-8217 (outside of Canada);
    • Mail:
      Western Canada Lottery Corporation
      Prize Payout
      10th Floor, 125 Garry Street
      Winnipeg, MB  R3C 4J1
    • E-mail: Click here
  • You may wish to refer false solicitations to your local authorities or PhoneBusters, an anti-fraud task force comprising members of several Canadian police organizations, including the RCMP.

What if I’ve already sent money to a fraudulent lottery organization? 

If you have sent money or would like to speak to someone with regard to such a solicitation, we advise you to contact PhoneBusters . They can be reached at 1-888-495-8501 (within Canada and the United States) or (705) 495-8501 (overseas) or by e-mail to info@phonebusters.com. Their phone lines can be busy; however, you can leave a message, and they will return your call. You may also wish to contact your local authorities.

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In the event of any discrepancy between this information and the
official information of WCLC, the latter shall prevail.