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Sweepstakes, prize, and lottery frauds are among the top scams people report to the FTC. These scams usually start with a call or message that says you’re a winner. (A lie.) They say to get the so-called prize you have to send money or click somewhere to give your information.
- Scammers say they’re from the government when they’re not. Scammers try to look official. They want you to think you’ve won a government-supervised lottery or sweepstakes.
- Scammers use names of organizations you might recognize. Scammers might pretend to be from well-known companies that run real sweepstakes. But no real sweepstakes company will contact you to ask for money so you can claim a prize.
- Scammers send you a message (via text, email, or social media) to get your personal information. You might be told that you won a gift card or a discount code to a local store.
- Scammers make it seem like you’re the only person who won a prize. But the same text, email, or letter went to lots of people. If your message came by mail, check the postmark on the envelope or postcard.
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Dec 3, 2018 · Sweepstakes and lottery scams have been around for a long time, and they’re still going strong. In 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 148,000 reports of fraud involving prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries, up 27 percent from the year before. Victims collectively lost $255 million.
Sweepstakes and lottery scams resulted in higher financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the previous three years, particularly for older people, according to new research...
In 2017, 2,820 individuals reported sweepstakes and lottery scams to Better Business Bureau (BBB) Scam Tracker, an online tool for tracking scams, with a median loss of $500. The most...
Oct 18, 2023 · The classic example of a contest or sweepstakes scam involves a letter notifying recipients that they have won a prize, which may be a sum of cash or something else of value. In order to claim this prize, however, they must fill out a form and return it with a fee, which is usually between $10 and $50.
Sep 30, 2022 · 01. of 13. Sweepstakes Scams Demand Payment to Receive a Prize. Never hand over your credit card number to get a prize. Peter Dazeley/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images. Does your notification ask you to pay money to receive your prize? If so, you're almost certainly dealing with a scam.
