Checked
Written from official fraud-agency notices. Every figure and piece of advice is checked against the sources listed at the bottom.
What we found
Set out in the same plain format as reader reports.
- What kind of scam?
- Prizes, loans and charity
- In short
- A call, message or letter says you have won a prize but must pay a fee, a tax or shipping first. Real prizes are free.
- How does it reach you?
- Phone, text, email or letter
- What does the message look like?
- Example message written by us.Congratulations, you have won a new car in the National Sweepstakes. To claim it, pay a $350 customs fee by gift card within 48 hours.
- How can you spot it?
- You pay to receive a prize
Real prizes are free. - Fees for taxes, shipping or customs
Often followed by a fake check. - Requests for card or bank details
There is no reason to give them. - A foreign lottery you never entered
Or an offer to sell you tickets.
- You pay to receive a prize
- Is it growing?
- It is ongoing
- Where do I report it?
- FTC ReportFraud
reportfraud.ftc.gov
- FTC ReportFraud
If this happened to you
- Do not pay and do not share bank or card details.
- Search online for the same offer. Scammers send identical messages to many people.
- If you paid, act quickly to stop or reverse the payment.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. If it came by mail, tell the US Postal Inspection Service.
Sources (1)
Sources
- US Federal Trade Commission: Fake prize, sweepstakes, and lottery scams (Checked 18 Oct 2026)