Q. I’ve been receiving emails saying I’ve won a Prize in the Lottery, is this true?
A. Most probably not. There are plenty of fraudulent emails circulating nowadays that try to rob you off your hard-earned money.  They either ask you to send "processing" fees to cover the cost of sending you your "prize money" after which, you will never hear from them.

Simple rule of thumb is: if you didn’t enter the draw, you can’t win. And if you did win a prize, you need not send any money just to claim it.

Q. Why do some of these letters have the OSA address or logo?
A. OSA is a trusted name in the industry and naturally, opportunists who operate these scams want to use our good name to deceive thousands of people and steal money from them under false pretenses. This tarnishes the integrity of the entire lottery industry.

OSA is deeply concerned by the proliferation of lottery scams like this being offered through direct mail and email around the world.

Q. What do I do when I receive a scam letter?
A. Your best defense against unscrupulous firms is to stay vigilant. Here are a few things you could do to protect yourself.

1. Be wary of companies that try to sell you "get-rich-quick" schemes promising very high returns. These notices are cleverly and convincingly written, certainly deceptive and utterly fraudulent. Remember: if their offer sounds too good to be true, it most probably is.

2. Do not sign any documents that you have not read or fully understood as you may be bound to fulfill legal obligations under the agreement.

3. Do your own background check on the company before making any decisions.

4. Seek legal advice from your lawyers when in doubt or, if you are already caught in such a scheme to find out if you can take any action against or recover money from the firm.

5. Should you really wish to join overseas lotteries, make sure you avail of the services of legitimate lottery companies such as OSA. Companies such as ours have years of excellent service and clean track records under our belts, not to mention thousands of satisfied customers who continue to subscribe to us.

6.If you receive any such offer, do not hesitate to report them to your local police and forward the correspondence to service@osalottos.com so we can post them on our SCAMWATCH website.

*We've compiled samples of the latest scams in circulation. Click here to view.