Play safe
Lottery Scams, Spending Limits and Free Help
Updated · Assam Lottery Result
Lottery scams hurt people every day, and most of them start with a single message on a phone. This page explains the tricks you are most likely to see, how to keep your own spending in check, what the law says, and exactly what to do if you have been cheated.
One thing first: this website is for information only. We sell no tickets, take no payments, have no agents and never ask for money. If someone uses our name to ask you for money, it is not us.
Lottery scams you are most likely to meet
Most lottery scams follow a few simple scripts. The words change, but the goal is always the same: to make you pay money or share your bank details. Once you know the scripts, they become easy to spot.
| What they say | What is really happening |
|---|---|
| “You won a prize. Pay a small fee or tax to release it.” | A real prize never needs money from you first. This is the most common lottery scam. |
| “Buy our lucky number, it will win today.” | Nobody knows the numbers before the draw. You pay and get nothing. |
| “Join our paid group for early results.” | Results appear for everyone after 03:00 PM. There is no early list to buy. |
| “Send a photo of your ticket and bank details, we will claim for you.” | Claims are made by the holder of the ticket, following the rules printed on it. A stranger cannot claim for you. |
| “Here is today’s result” (an image before 3 PM) | An edited picture made to sell numbers or trap you. |
| “We are calling from the lottery office about your win.” | A lottery office does not call or message random people to announce prizes. |
Notice what the scripts share. They push you to act quickly. They ask you to keep it secret. And sooner or later, they ask for money, an OTP, a UPI PIN or a photo of your bank card. The moment any of these appears, stop.
The “pay a fee to get your prize” trick
This is the oldest and the most common of all lottery scams. A call, an SMS or a chat message says you won a large amount. Then comes the catch: you must first pay a “processing fee”, “GST”, “income tax” or “courier charge” before the money is sent.
After the first payment there is always another one. The prize never arrives, because it never existed. Some victims pay many times over weeks, each time hoping the next fee is the last.
Here is how a real prize works. Big prizes are taxed: 30% tax (plus cess) is deducted from lottery winnings above ₹10,000 before the money is paid. You never pay that tax up front. The claim follows the rules on the back of the ticket, and you keep the original ticket safe until then. Our guide to real prize claims and tax walks through the documents.
A simple rule covers every case. If you did not buy a ticket, you did not win. If you did buy one, check it yourself, and if anyone asks you for money to release a prize, it is a scam.
“Lucky number” sellers on chat apps
Groups and accounts on chat apps and social media offer a “fixed” or “inside” number for a fee. They post screenshots of past “wins” and messages from “happy customers”. All of it can be made in a minute with an editing app.
The truth is simple. The 03:00 PM numbers do not exist before the draw, so nobody can sell them. A single 6-digit ticket has a 1 in 10,00,000 chance at the ₹1,00,000 1st prize of its series, and no seller can change that. Our honest look at the old counts shows why past results cannot predict the next one.
These sellers often move on to the fee trick. After you pay for a number, they say it “won” and ask for a share or a tax payment before they send the prize. It is the same scam in a new shirt.
Fake result images and PDFs
Fake result pictures are a tool used in many lottery scams. A seller edits a real sheet so that “their” number appears as the 1st prize, then posts it to prove their tips work. Others post a fake sheet to make people think they won and then ask for a claim fee.
You can test any image in seconds. Check the date and weekday, the series name and a few numbers against a trusted list. The guide on how to spot a fake result PDF or image lists the warning signs one by one.
The safest habit is to never trust a forwarded image for a prize. Type your ticket number into the ticket checker yourself, or open the day’s sheets from the home page, and keep the printed ticket until you have checked.
Setting limits that you keep
A lottery ticket is a small paid game of chance. It is not a plan to earn money, and it is not a way to fix a money problem. If you choose to play where it is legal, a few limits keep it small.
| Limit | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Set a fixed amount per week before you buy | You decide with a calm mind, not after a near miss. |
| Only spend money you can afford to lose | Rent, food, school fees and loan payments stay safe. |
| Never borrow to buy tickets | Debt turns a small loss into a big problem. |
| Do not chase losses | Past tickets do not make the next one more likely to win. |
| Write down what you spend | A written total is harder to ignore than a guess. |
| Take days off | Breaks show you whether you are still playing for fun. |
If you like checking results every day, that is fine; checking costs nothing. The risk is in buying more to “win back” what you lost. A limit set in advance is the easiest way to stop that from happening.
Talk to your family about it. A limit that someone else knows about is easier to keep. And if you find you cannot keep any limit at all, read the next section carefully.
Signs that playing is becoming a problem
Playing too much can creep up slowly. Be honest with yourself about these signs:
- You spend more than you planned, again and again.
- You borrow money, sell things or skip bills to buy tickets.
- You buy more tickets to win back what you lost.
- You hide your tickets or your spending from your family.
- You feel tense, low or angry when you cannot play.
- You believe a win is “due” after many losses.
One or two of these are a reason to pause. Several of them mean it is time to talk to someone. You are not alone, and help is free. The helpline in the section on free help below is a good place to start.
The law: where lotteries are allowed
In India, lotteries are governed by the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998. Under it, each state decides whether lotteries may be sold within its borders. Some states run or allow them; others ban them completely. Tamil Nadu, for example, has banned lotteries since 2003.
Buying or selling tickets where they are banned is illegal. That also applies to tickets offered “online” or carried across state lines. If someone offers to sell you a ticket in a state where lotteries are banned, the sale itself is against the law, and you have no protection if it turns out to be fake.
Rules change, so check the current rules of your own state before you buy anything. Our Assam State Lottery guide explains how this draw works, and it never encourages anyone to buy tickets.
If lottery scams caught you: what to do
It can happen to anyone. Scammers are skilled at sounding official and at rushing people. If you paid money or shared details, act quickly; speed matters most in the first hours.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Stop | Do not send any more money, however the scammer explains it. Stop replying. |
| 2. Call 1930 | The national cyber-fraud helpline. The sooner you call, the better the chance of stopping a payment. |
| 3. File a complaint | Report it online at cybercrime.gov.in with the details of what happened. |
| 4. Tell your bank | Ask the bank to block your card or UPI if you shared any card details, PIN or OTP. |
| 5. Keep the proof | Save screenshots of chats, phone numbers, payment IDs and dates. |
| 6. Warn others | Tell family and friends so the same people cannot trick them. |
You can file the complaint on the national cyber-crime reporting portal. Keep the complaint number you receive. If a scam used our website’s name, please report it to us as well so we can warn other readers.
Do not feel ashamed. Lottery scams are built to fool careful people, and reporting helps the police find the groups behind them.
Free help if it is getting too much
Money worries and heavy playing often go together with stress, poor sleep and low mood. Talking helps. Tele-MANAS is a free mental-health helpline run by the Government of India, on 14416.
The call is private, and you can speak in many Indian languages. You do not need to give your name. You can read more on the Tele-MANAS website.
If you or someone near you is in danger right now, call 112, the national emergency number. Asking for help is a strong step, not a weak one.
The short version
- A real prize never asks for a fee first.
- Nobody knows the numbers before 03:00 PM.
- Check any forwarded result yourself.
- Set a spending limit and keep it.
- Buy only where your state allows lotteries.
18+ only. Scam call or message? Cyber-fraud helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in. Free, private mental-health help: Tele-MANAS 14416.
Questions about scams and safe play
I got a message saying I won a lottery I never entered. What should I do?
Ignore it and do not reply. You cannot win a draw you never entered. Block the sender, and if you already paid or shared bank details, call 1930 at once.
Do real lottery prizes need a fee before payment?
No. Tax on a big prize is deducted from the prize itself before it is paid. You never send money first. Any request for a fee, tax, GST or “release charge” is a scam.
Can anyone really tell me the winning number before the draw?
No. The numbers do not exist until the draw is held at 03:00 PM. People who sell “inside” or “fixed” numbers on chat apps are running lottery scams.
Does Assam Lottery Result sell tickets or numbers?
No. This is an information website only. We sell no tickets, take no payments, have no agents and never ask anyone for money. Anyone using our name to ask for money is not us.
Is it legal to buy a lottery ticket where I live?
It depends on your state. Under the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998, each state decides whether lotteries may be sold there. Some states ban them, for example Tamil Nadu since 2003.
How do I report a lottery scam?
Call the cyber-fraud helpline 1930 as soon as possible, then file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. Tell your bank too, and keep screenshots of every message and payment.
Who can I talk to if lottery spending is hurting me?
Tele-MANAS, the free mental-health helpline, is on 14416. The call is private, and you can talk to a trained counsellor without giving your name.
Stay a step ahead of lottery scams
Lottery scams work because they sound urgent and believable. Your strongest defence is a few fixed rules: never pay to receive a prize, never buy a “number”, check every result yourself and report a scam on 1930 straight away.
Keep any playing small and legal, inside a limit you set in advance. If it stops being fun, step back and call Tele-MANAS on 14416. Help is free and private.
Got a ticket to check?
Check it yourself in seconds instead of trusting a forwarded image or message.