What Is A Prize Scam And How Do They Work?
A fake prize scam is when a fraudster contacts you out of the blue to say you have won a large amount of money on an overseas lottery or prize draw.
The scammer will often ask you to either contact someone or click on a link in an email to claim your winnings – usually a very large cash sum.
Only there is no prize, and the link will often take you to a website where you will be asked to provide personal information for proof of identity, and your bank details.
This can allow the fraudsters to steal your identity and, ultimately, empty your bank account.
Another common tactic used by scammers is to ask you to pay an administration fee up front before you can claim your fictitious winnings.
If you pay, don’t be surprised if they ask for more money for spurious reasons, like legal fees or banking costs.
With so many competitions about these days – whether online, or via TV and radio – it’s very easy to fall victim to a fake prize scam.
Scammers flood millions of people with emails and messages, relying on those who may be vulnerable, or in a rush, to claim the fake prize without thinking.
With many people struggling with the cost of living crisis, a bit of good news can seem like a shot in the arm, and it’s very tempting to believe your fortunes have been transformed.
That’s why no-one should feel ashamed if they have been tricked into believing they have won – it is never your fault.
Get in touch if you have been tricked into claiming a fake prize, and we will do our best to get your money back.
How To Avoid Falling For A Prize Scam
We’ve put together a few top tips to help you avoid fake prize scams.
- Have you entered a competition or lottery? If you haven’t entered a particular competition, you can’t have won it. If you regularly enter competitions, it’s easy to forget which ones, and it’s very exciting to be told you’ve won a prize. But take a bit of time to check you did, in fact, enter before clicking any links or giving any information.
- Have you been asked to pay a fee? No legitimate lottery or competition organiser will ask you to pay a fee to release the main prize. If you are asked to pay, for example for postage, tax, or bank charges, you are being defrauded.
- Check the email address: if you are given an email address to contact to claim your prize, be very wary if it is not an official company address. Scammers will often use free services like Hotmail or Yahoo.
- Check spelling and grammar: if you are directed to a lottery or prize website, check the spelling and grammar carefully, as many scammers operate from overseas and English will not be their first language. Also check if it is a secure website, one starting with ‘https’.
- Check for cloned websites: before entering any personal information on a competition website, check it is genuine. Scammers often mimic respected brands, so always Google the brand and see if the competition appears on the official site.
If you have been scammed fill in our form or call us to see how we can help.
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