Fake lottery ads target Canadians on Facebook

"Loads of amazing prizes up for grabs! Canada, this one's for you!" says a July 7, 2023 Facebook post sharing a video of lottery winners receiving checks for millions of dollars.

Similar advertisements circulated on the platform earlier in the month.

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Screenshot of Facebook ads taken July 18, 2023

The footage shows actual Lotto Max winners, including Adlin Lewis of Ontario, who won $70 million in 2020, and Bon Truong, a $60 million winner from Alberta. The posts encourage people to click on a link to play the game.

But the ads direct to an unrelated website purportedly selling camping gear and clothing -- not an official Canadian gaming site.

Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) spokesman Kevin van Egdom told AFP the nonprofit organization has "no affiliation" with the ads "or any non-lottery related links."

The corporation, which manages lotteries in Canada's central and northern provinces, does advertise on social media. But van Egdom said that on Facebook, "any posts and ads would be through our Lotto Spot and Sport Select channels, and we do not promote unaffiliated sites or products."

An AFP analysis of the Facebook Ad Library found Lotto Spot's promotions are visually different from the fraudulent posts. They also link to information about how to install the official Lotto Spot app.

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Screenshot of an official ad for Canada's Lotto Max taken from the Facebook Ad Library on July 18, 2023

The Facebook Ad Library indicates the free game promotions are not affiliated with OLG in Ontario province either, as its campaigns link to the official OLG website. Ads in Manitoba and British Columbia also link to official information about Lotto Max.

AFP has debunked other spurious ads targeting Canadians on Facebook.