Prize Notification Scams on Email
Fraudulent emails claim the recipient has won a prize from a draw, promotion, or loyalty programme they never entered, then use the claim process to harvest personal data or extract an upfront fee.
Part of: Prize Notification Scams
Last reviewed: 19 September 2026
Email is one of the main channels used for prize notification scams because a message can imitate the exact branding, tone, and layout of a retailer, delivery courier, or streaming and loyalty programme the recipient already uses. The framing often avoids any reference to a lottery at all: the recipient is told they were selected by a computer draw, chosen as a 'valued customer', or picked as part of a promotional campaign tied to a brand they recognise.
As with other prize notification scams, the email pursues one of two goals — harvesting personal and financial details (name, address, date of birth, bank or card information) for identity fraud or resale to other criminal networks, or extracting a fee such as a delivery charge, processing tax, customs fee, or certificate cost before a prize that does not exist can supposedly be released. Seasonal prize campaigns and impersonation of well-known retailers, couriers, or online services make the email format especially convincing, since the visual branding can closely match a company the recipient already deals with.
How this scam works on Email
The email typically arrives with a spoofed display name reading as a familiar retailer, courier, or streaming service, while the underlying sender address or domain is only a close match to the real company's — sometimes with a reply-to address that doesn't match the sender at all. The subject line and opening lines present exciting news: the recipient has been selected as a winner and must act by a stated deadline before the prize is reassigned.
A link or attachment leads to a claim form asking for the recipient's full name, address, date of birth, and often bank or card details, framed as necessary to 'verify identity' or 'deposit winnings'. In the data-harvesting version, the recipient may receive a low-value item or nothing at all while their details are used elsewhere for identity fraud. In the fee version, they are told a delivery charge, processing tax, customs fee, or certificate cost must be paid before the prize can be sent — and further charges often follow once the first is paid.
Some messages ask the recipient to keep the win confidential and not contact the company being impersonated directly. Where a fee is requested it is typically asked for by a hard-to-reverse method such as a bank transfer, gift cards, or a payment app rather than a card payment that could be disputed. Because the branding, sender name, and claim form can closely mimic a real organisation, the safest response is to use the email provider's 'report phishing' button, avoid opening any attachment, and never reply to or click through the message.
Common red flags
- Sender address or domain that doesn't exactly match the brand or organisation the email claims to be from
- Notification for a prize draw, computer selection, or loyalty programme you have no memory of entering
- Request for bank or card details to 'verify your identity' or 'deposit' a prize
- A delivery charge, processing tax, customs fee, or certificate cost required before the prize can be sent
- Urgent deadline to claim within hours or the prize is reassigned
- Instructions to keep the prize confidential and not contact the company being impersonated
How to protect yourself
- Do not click links or open attachments in an unsolicited prize email — go directly to the organisation's official website instead
- Verify the notification by contacting the organisation through contact details found independently, not those in the email
- Check the sender's actual email address, not just the display name, against the organisation's known domain
- Never provide bank or card details in response to a prize notification email
- Use your email provider's 'report phishing' button rather than replying to or forwarding the message
- Discuss any prize notification asking for a fee with a trusted person before paying anything
How to report it
- Report the email as phishing using your email provider's built-in reporting tool or abuse address
- Report to the organisation whose brand was impersonated, using contact details from their official website
- Report to your national fraud service — in the US, the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, or in the UK, Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) at reportfraud.police.uk
Frequently asked questions
Can you win a lottery or prize you never entered if you get an email about it?
No. Legitimate lotteries and prize draws only produce winners from people who entered, so an unsolicited prize email for a draw you don't remember entering is a scam regardless of how official the branding looks.
Do legitimate companies ever ask for a fee by email before releasing a prize?
No. Genuine prize organisations, retailers, and promotions do not ask for payment before releasing winnings. A fee request in a prize email — however small, and however it's described as a delivery charge, tax, or certificate cost — is the hallmark of advance-fee fraud.
The email looks exactly like it's from a brand I recognise — is it still a scam?
It may be. Scammers copy logos, colour schemes, and message formatting precisely, and can spoof a sender's display name so it reads as the real company. Always verify by contacting the organisation using contact details from their official website, not the ones in the email, and check the actual sender address rather than just the name shown.
Sources for this guide are listed on the Prize Notification Scams page (4 sources).