This scam campaign involves a network of 15 connected phone numbers spanning multiple states, with the most interconnected numbers being 719-200-5687 (Colorado Springs, CO), 323-558-3245 (Los Angeles, CA), 516-423-7570 (Nassau County, NY), 623-640-3316 (Phoenix, AZ), and 702-319-2984 (Las Vegas, NV). These five numbers form the core of the network, each reported together with multiple other numbers in the cluster. Additional numbers in the campaign include 508-496-2490 (Massachusetts), 310-437-3551 (Los Angeles, CA), 716-427-6420 (Buffalo, NY), 202-528-8321 (Washington, DC), 845-898-7934 (New York), 512-557-4638 (Austin, TX), 323-561-2726 (Los Angeles, CA), 848-355-1623 (New Jersey), 202-487-9830 (Washington, DC), and 561-531-9046 (Florida).
The campaign operates through coordinated calling patterns, with numbers being reported together in consumer complaints, indicating shared infrastructure or coordinated timing of calls. Community reports reveal this is a traditional Nigerian advance fee scam involving fake lottery winnings, with scammers claiming to be "Cliff Webster" who won "$316.3 million with my wife Tammy at Wisconsin's Powerball." Despite the widespread network of 15 phone numbers across multiple states suggesting significant operational scale, there are currently 0 formal FTC complaints filed against any of these numbers, though community reporting indicates active scam operations.
The geographic distribution shows a nationwide targeting pattern with concentration in major metropolitan areas including Los Angeles (2 numbers), Washington DC (2 numbers), and representation across Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, New Jersey, and Florida. This broad geographic spread suggests the scammers are using voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services to mask their true location while appearing to call from local or familiar area codes to increase answer rates.
To protect yourself from this and similar scam campaigns, never provide personal information, financial details, or make payments to unsolicited callers claiming you have won prizes or lotteries you did not enter. Hang up immediately on suspicious calls and do not click any links in related text messages. Legitimate lotteries and sweepstakes do not require upfront payments or fees to claim winnings. If you receive calls from any of these numbers or similar lottery scam attempts, report them to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or file complaints with the FCC. You can verify if a phone number has been reported as suspicious by checking community-driven scam databases and reverse phone lookup services before answering unknown calls.
This campaign represents a moderate threat level due to its wide geographic reach and coordinated infrastructure, though the classic lottery scam format makes it relatively easy to identify and avoid for informed consumers. Recommended next steps include increased public awareness of these specific numbers, continued monitoring for expansion of the network, and reporting any contact from these numbers to appropriate authorities to build formal complaint records that can support enforcement actions.