Foreign Lottery Scams via Wire Transfer
Victims receive unsolicited notifications that they have won a foreign lottery and must wire transfer fees and taxes to claim a prize that does not exist.
Part of: Foreign Lottery Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Foreign lottery scams inform recipients — by letter, email, or phone — that they have won a lottery they never entered. The promised prize is substantial, designed to make the fee demands that follow seem proportionally small. Wire transfers are the payment mechanism of choice because they are irreversible, cross-border, and difficult for victims to dispute.
No winnings are ever paid. Each fee request is followed by another: processing fees, insurance, tax advance payments, and customs duties all accumulate while the victim remains convinced the prize is real.
How this scam works on wire transfer
A letter arrives on impressive stationery, or an email is received from an address mimicking a real lottery organisation. The message provides a claim number, a prize amount, and instructions to contact a 'claims agent' who will guide the process. The agent explains that a wire transfer covering tax obligations or administrative fees is required before the prize can be released.
After the first wire, new reasons to pay emerge: a currency conversion fee, a government bond requirement, or a security clearance payment. Each is presented as the final hurdle before the prize is delivered.
Some scammers instruct victims to keep the win secret, preventing family members from providing a reality check.
Common red flags
- You have won a lottery you have no memory of entering
- Claiming the prize requires upfront wire transfer payments
- Communication asks you to keep the win confidential
- The lottery name sounds similar to but is not identical to a known national lottery
- Fees escalate — each payment is followed by a new requirement before release
- Claims agent provides a personal email or phone number rather than official institutional contact
- Urgency applied — the prize will be forfeited if you do not pay within a short window
How to protect yourself
- Remember: you cannot win a lottery you did not enter — any such notification is a scam
- Never wire money to claim a prize of any kind
- Verify any lottery claim by calling the official national lottery organisation directly using a number from their published website
- Discuss unexpected prize notifications with a trusted family member or financial advisor before taking any action
- Block and report the contact and do not engage further once you identify it as a scam
- Report the communication to your national consumer protection agency even if you did not lose money
How to report it
- Report the scam communication to your national postal inspection service if received by letter
- File a report with your national cybercrime authority or consumer protection agency
- Alert your bank if you have wired any funds, even if recovery is unlikely
Frequently asked questions
Are there any circumstances where a foreign lottery win is legitimate?
Real lottery operators never contact winners unsolicited and never require upfront fee payments to release winnings. Winners must always claim using their original ticket through official channels, not via wire transfers to overseas accounts.