Foreign Lottery Scams in Cyprus
Fake foreign lottery prize notifications target Cyprus residents and the island's large expatriate community with fabricated windfalls requiring upfront fee payments.
Part of: Foreign Lottery Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Foreign lottery scams have circulated in Cyprus for decades and continue to find victims, particularly among older residents and recently arrived expatriates unfamiliar with the pattern. Notifications claim that the recipient has won a foreign lottery — Spanish, UK, European, or US — in a 'promotional draw' that they never entered. Collection of the prize requires payment of a tax, insurance, or processing fee.
Cyprus's large UK and Russian expatriate communities are particular targets, with scammers crafting prize notifications tailored to familiar national lottery brands.
How this scam works on Cyprus
An email, letter, or SMS arrives congratulating the victim on winning a foreign lottery prize. The message typically uses the branding of a real lottery — EuroMillions, the Spanish El Gordo, or the US Powerball — but is entirely fraudulent. A prize-claims officer's contact details are provided.
When the victim makes contact, they are told a small tax or insurance fee must be paid before the prize can be released. After payment, additional fees emerge. The prize is never delivered and contact eventually ceases.
Some sophisticated variants include fake legal documents, official-looking prize certificates, and spoofed email addresses mimicking real lottery operators to delay victim scepticism.
Common red flags
- You have won a lottery you never entered.
- A fee of any kind must be paid before the prize can be released.
- The notification uses a real lottery brand but arrives from a free email address.
- The prize-claims officer communicates via personal phone or WhatsApp rather than an official lottery channel.
- The prize amount is extraordinarily large, creating a powerful emotional hook.
How to protect yourself
- Delete any prize notification for a lottery you never entered.
- Verify any claimed lottery prize directly through the lottery's official website and published contact details.
- Never pay any fee to receive a lottery prize — legitimate lotteries deduct taxes from the prize itself.
- Report the notification to the Cyprus Consumer Protection Service.
- Warn older family members and friends who may be less familiar with this fraud pattern.
How to report it
- Report to Cyprus Police and the Cyprus Consumer Protection Service.
- Forward phishing emails to the real lottery brand so they can issue warnings.
- Contact your bank if any payment has been made.
Frequently asked questions
Can I win a foreign lottery without entering it?
No. You cannot win any legitimate lottery without purchasing a ticket. Any prize notification for a draw you did not enter is fraudulent.