As the next drawings for the Mega Millions and Powerball near, the NYPD is warning people to be aware of lottery scams.

They say the common con going around involves a scammer telling someone that they have a winning ticket that they cannot cash – they need help depositing cash, all with the promise of sharing the prize.

The Mega Millions says there is never a fee to claim a real lottery prize.

The NYPD says scammers will often ask for money to cover things like taxes and delivery fees which don't exist. They also may even tell you to keep your winnings confidential. And if they contact you by phone, they may have misspellings and improper English because they're usually based outside of the United States.

The lottery is awarded only by purchasing a ticket at a participating retailer. Experts say there are no random prizes awarded anywhere in the world based on phone numbers, email addresses or social media.