IRD Warns Against Fake and Duplicate Bills

As the bill lottery has grown in popularity, so has the temptation to game it — and IRD has publicly flagged that it's watching for fake or duplicate invoices submitted to gain extra entries.

The program depends on genuine, serially numbered bills issued by properly registered sellers. Submitting a forged, altered, or duplicated bill isn't a shortcut to more entries — it puts both the buyer and the seller at legal risk, separate from anything to do with actually winning a prize.

For ordinary participants, the safest approach is also the simplest: only register bills you actually received from a real purchase, and never accept or submit a bill that looks altered or reused.

If you ever suspect a seller is issuing fraudulent bills, IRD's own channels — not a third-party app — are the right place to raise it.