Record jackpot, record risk: New York's Mega Millions scam warning

The Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to an estimated $743 million, putting it among the 10 largest prizes in the game's history.

The New York State Gaming Commission has issued a consumer alert. The warning: an imposter scam is targeting residents across multiple states, and it's using the Mega Millions name to do it.

Real lotteries don't reach out to winners

Here's the con. Victims get a phone call from someone claiming to be a high-ranking Mega Millions official in New York. The caller says they've won $18.6 million and two Mercedes-Benz vehicles. One catch: they need to pay taxes first. Another catch: the caller says the check and the vehicle warranties will expire if they don't act immediately.

None of it is real. The Gaming Commission is blunt about the rule that exposes every version of this scam: real lotteries don't reach out to winners.

If someone contacts you out of nowhere about a prize you never knew you'd won, that's the scam. Full stop.

A few facts make this easy to verify on your own:

• You can't win a lottery prize without buying a ticket.
• The New York Lottery doesn't know who has won until a winning ticket is presented for payment.
• There are only three legitimate ways to win in New York: buying a ticket from a licensed sales agent, ordering through a licensed lottery courier service, or purchasing a New York Lottery Subscription.

How to protect yourself

As these scams become more commonplace, there are ways to fortify your defenses.

• Don't share personal or financial details. No legitimate prize notification will ask for this upfront.
• There's no such thing as a "processing fee." If someone asks you to pay to receive a prize, walk away. Don't send money.
• There's no such thing as a "claiming fee" either. Scammers sometimes mail a check along with a request for a fee. The check is fake. It will bounce, and it can damage your bank account in the process. Don't deposit it.
• Never send a gift card to cover "taxes." Governments don't collect taxes this way. No legitimate organization does.
• Guard your personal information like Social Security numbers, dates of birth, maiden names, bank accounts, and credit card numbers.

Next Mega Millions drawing

The next drawing lands Friday, July 24, 2026, at 11 p.m. ET. The estimated jackpot sits at $743 million, with a cash value of $323.4 million. That number is enough to land among the 10 largest Mega Millions jackpots ever drawn.

Big jackpots draw big attention. That's exactly what scammers are counting on. The bigger the number in the headlines, the more convincing a fake prize call sounds. Play the real game through licensed channels, and treat any unsolicited call about a "win" as what it is: a scam.