Don't fall for fake lottery wins and sweepstakes. Learn how prize scams work and how to protect yourself.
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Lottery scams notify you that you've won a large prize in a lottery or sweepstakes you never entered. To claim your "winnings," you must pay taxes, processing fees, or insurance costs upfront. The prize doesn't exist — it's just a mechanism to extract money.
These scams arrive via email, text, phone calls, or even physical letters. They often use the names of real lottery organizations or create official-looking documents with stamps and signatures. Some scammers even send fake checks that bounce after depositing.
A key principle: you cannot win a lottery you didn't enter. Legitimate lotteries never require winners to pay fees upfront — taxes and costs are deducted from winnings automatically.
An email from "EuroMillions International" claims you won €2.5 million. To claim it, you need to pay a €950 "processing fee" and provide a copy of your passport.
A text message says you've won a $1,000 Amazon gift card. You click a link that asks for your credit card to cover $4.99 shipping.