About

Lottery scams often start with an unexpected message, email, or phone call informing the victim that they have won a large sum of money or a valuable prize in a lottery or sweepstakes. The catch is that in order to claim the winnings, the victim is asked to pay upfront fees or taxes. Scammers may also request sensitive personal information, such as bank account details or Social Security numbers, under the guise of processing the payment.

Victims of lottery scams are often convinced that the offer is legitimate due to the professional appearance of the communication, which may include official-looking logos or forged documentation. However, legitimate lotteries will never require winners to pay fees to claim their prize, and winnings are typically taxed after they are disbursed, not before.

In some cases, lottery scams are part of larger fraud operations, where the victim is contacted multiple times with increasing demands for payments. Each time the victim complies, the scammer invents new reasons for why additional fees or taxes are required, leading to significant financial losses over time.

To avoid lottery scams, individuals should be wary of any unsolicited messages claiming they have won a prize, especially if they did not enter a contest or lottery. Always verify the legitimacy of the claim with the lottery organization directly and avoid paying any upfront fees or sharing personal information.

Prevention

Legitimate lotteries never ask for fees or personal information upfront to claim winnings; verify the source before responding.