Fake Lottery Winner Scam
Scammers claim you've won a lottery and demand fees to collect. You can't win contests you didn't enter. FBI IC3: 3,690 complaints, $102M losses in 2024.
🚩 Red Flags
- ⚠Won contest you never entered
- ⚠Payment required to claim
- ⚠Taxes must be paid upfront
- ⚠Prize is foreign lottery (illegal)
🛡️ Protect Yourself
- →IGNORE: Can't win what you didn't enter
- →NEVER PAY to claim prizes
- →KNOW: Real taxes are deducted, not prepaid
- →If you paid: Stop—paying more won't help
More Details
- “Congratulations! You've won $1.5 million!”
- “Your email selected in random drawing”
- “Pay $500 processing fee to claim”
- “Send tax payment to release prize”
Common Questions
No. If you didn't enter, you can't win. Any such notification is a scam.
No. Real taxes are deducted automatically or reported on your return. Never pay upfront.
PCH is real but heavily impersonated. Real PCH never calls asking for payment and awards in person with cameras.
No. The check is fake and will bounce. Don't deposit it.
Report This Scam
If you've encountered this scam, report it to help protect others.
Warn Someone You Know
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Related Scams
Fake Check Overpayment Scam
Scammers send a check for more than agreed, then request you wire back the "extra." The check bounces days later—you owe the bank everything.
Government Grant Scam
Scammers claim you've been selected for a free government grant. Real grants require applications—you can't win grants you didn't apply for.
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73% of Americans targeted(Pew, 2025)
|$470M lost to text scams in 2024(FTC)
|$16.6B total losses(FBI IC3, 2024)