How to Recognize Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams

You cannot win a lottery or sweepstakes you never entered. If someone says you've won a prize but must pay fees first, it's a scam — every single time.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Apply the simple test: did you enter?
2.Never pay to receive a prize
3.Hang up on callers with area code 876
4.Verify before getting excited
5.Report to the FTC and stop contact

Apply the simple test: did you enter?

~15s

If you did not enter a contest, you cannot have won it. Any notification saying you won something you did not enter is fraud, regardless of how official it looks.

Never pay to receive a prize

~20s

Legitimate prizes do not require upfront payment. If there are taxes owed on a prize, they are withheld from the winnings — you never pre-pay taxes to a caller before receiving your prize.

Warning

Do not pay a small amount to "test" whether it is real. Scammers are expert at making the first payment feel reasonable and the prize feel imminent.

Hang up on callers with area code 876

~15s

The Jamaica lottery scam primarily originates from Jamaica. Calls from area code 876 claiming you won a prize should be immediately rejected. You can also block the area code on your phone.

Verify before getting excited

~15s

If you genuinely entered a contest and want to verify whether a notification is real: look up the company's official website independently, call their official number, and ask about the promotion. Never call back a number the notification provided.

Report to the FTC and stop contact

~15s

Report prize scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Block the number. Do not respond to follow-up calls. Engaging — even to say you are not interested — confirms your number is active and results in more scam calls.

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Lottery and sweepstakes scams are among the most persistent forms of fraud. The setup is always the same: you receive a call, letter, or email congratulating you on winning a large sum of money or valuable prize. But to claim the winnings, you must first pay taxes, processing fees, insurance, customs, or some other charge.

The fundamental truth

: Legitimate lotteries and sweepstakes never require you to pay money to claim your prize. If you have to pay, it is not a real prize.

Real sweepstakes taxes are handled by the prize-giver or deducted from your winnings — you never need to send money in advance. Real lottery winners (if you even entered a lottery) are notified through official channels, and winnings are paid out directly without upfront fees.

Common variations

: - Publishers Clearing House imposters (the real PCH visits winners in person) - Foreign lottery winnings (you cannot win a lottery in a country you never entered) - Jamaica lottery scam (particularly targeted at older Americans — calls from Jamaican area codes 876) - Social media "winner" DMs claiming you won a giveaway from a celebrity or company

The escalating fee trap

: Scammers often start with a small fee, then add another, then another, keeping victims engaged with the promise that the prize is just one more payment away. Some victims lose tens of thousands of dollars over months.

If a contact mentions any prize combined with any upfront payment, do not engage further.

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