Beware of lottery scams

The president of the Mississippi Lottery Corporation is warning people not to fall victim to scams.

Tom Shaheen says in a news release Wednesday that fake communications about lottery winnings are common. He says the corporation was told about a scam in Mississippi with people receiving phone calls about a second chance at winning the Mega Millions jackpot.

The news release says the Mississippi Lottery does not contact winners because the corporation does not know a winner’s identity until that person claims a prize. A legitimate lottery never asks winners to pay taxes upfront.

The Mega Millions jackpot Friday is $750 million.