Foreign Lottery Scams via Apple Pay
Lottery scammers targeting US iPhone users request Apple Pay fee payments to release non-existent prizes, exploiting the payment method's instant settlement.
Part of: Foreign Lottery Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Apple Pay-based foreign lottery scams leverage the demographic of iPhone users — broadly middle-income adults who are comfortable with mobile payment apps — with the same win-notification format used in other lottery fraud. The request to pay via Apple Pay feels less alarming than a wire transfer and more plausible than a gift card request.
Once the Apple Cash payment is sent, it cannot be recovered through Apple's standard dispute channels, and the prize is never delivered.
How this scam works on Apple Pay
An email or text announces a lottery win and instructs the victim to contact a claims officer. The officer explains that all fees can be conveniently paid via Apple Pay — the fastest way to clear the processing requirements. After the initial Apple Cash payment, further fees escalate in the same pattern as all lottery fraud variants.
Some scammers send fake Apple Pay 'pending prize' screenshots appearing to show a large incoming payment awaiting verification — all the victim must do is send a small Apple Cash payment first to authenticate their account.
Voice calls from spoofed official numbers reinforce the prize story and guide the victim step-by-step through the Apple Pay process.
Common red flags
- Prize announced for a lottery you do not recall entering
- Apple Pay fee required to release or verify winnings
- Fake Apple Pay pending balance screenshot sent by the scammer
- Each payment is followed by a new fee demand
- Confidentiality requested to prevent family from intervening
- Claims officer contactable only via a personal phone number or email
How to protect yourself
- Know that no real lottery requires Apple Pay fee payments from winners
- Never send Apple Cash to receive money — the prize comes to you, not the reverse
- Verify any prize claim through the organisation's official published contact details
- Discuss unexpected prize notifications with a trusted person before acting
- Block and report the contact and do not engage further
- Report the scam to your national consumer protection authority
How to report it
- Report the scam communication to your national consumer protection or cybercrime authority
- Contact Apple Support to report the Apple Cash transaction as fraud
- Alert your financial institution if any bank-funded Apple Pay payments were made
Frequently asked questions
What is the fake 'pending balance' Apple Pay screenshot trick?
Scammers create doctored screenshots that appear to show a large Apple Cash payment pending in your name. This fabricated proof is designed to make the prize feel real and the fee request feel proportional. Apple Cash does not send pending balance screenshots — this is always a scam.