When you’re told you’re a winner, it’s fun to believe it. But in the case of a number of Tco Bell customers who thought they’d scored a free PlayStation Vita, the company is dashing a lot of dreams. Turns out someone gamed the system, apparently tinkering with the site to tell people they’d won when they really hadn’t. This, according to Taco Bell.

As CBS 13 in Sacramento reports, customers have been complaining about Taco Bell’s current Unlock the Box promotion and the lack of prizes being sent out. Here at Consumerist, we’ve heard some rumblings of disappointment as well.

Customers who were told on the Taco Bell website that they’d won after entering a code have been emailed later informing them they’re “not a valid winner,” with no other explanation offered.

The company claims someone tampered with the website and created too many winners. Those people aren’t guaranteed prizes, even though they did nothing wrong, says a Taco Bell rep, and will instead be re-entered in the contest.

Taco Bell’s full statement issued yesterday reads:

We have learned that during a short period of time on January 30th, some people entering our Unlock the Box promotion erroneously received a message suggesting they had won a PlayStation® Vita, pending verification. After a thorough investigation, and an additional review by the independent company administering the promotion, it was confirmed that these entrants viewed these messages as a result of others who attempted to gain illegal entry and defraud the system. Unfortunately, during this time period some saw a confirmation screen but were not valid winners. Taco Bell designed this sweepstakes to be fun for our consumers and we know that there are some disappointed fans. We are therefore giving those consumers who viewed erroneous messages a second chance to win by automatically entering them into a separate drawing to win a PS Vita. All winners will be notified and their names posted the week after the end of the promotion. The issue that occurred on January 30th has been resolved and the Unlock the Box promotion will continue to run through March 11, 2012.

Call Kurtis: Some Taco Bell Contest Winners May Not Get Prize [CBS13]

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