Second-Chance Lottery Scams via Email
How fraudulent emails mimic legitimate second-chance lottery promotions to extract ticket submission fees, personal data, or banking details from lottery players.
Part of: Second-Chance Lottery Scams
Last reviewed: 8 June 2026
Second-chance lottery promotions are a real feature offered by many state and national lotteries, allowing players to enter non-winning tickets into additional draws for further prize opportunities. Scammers exploit awareness of these legitimate programmes by sending emails that convincingly mimic official second-chance notifications, either claiming the recipient has won through a second-chance draw or inviting them to enter a fake second-chance programme.
Lottery players are a self-selected audience who have already demonstrated willingness to participate in prize-chance activities, making them more receptive than average to prize notifications. Email recipients who have recently purchased lottery tickets are especially susceptible because the timing of the notification may coincide with their real participation.
The fraud ranges from data harvesting through fake registration forms to fee extraction during the claim process.
How this scam works on email
An email arrives using the branding of a real state lottery or national lottery authority, informing the recipient that a ticket number has won in a second-chance draw. The notification may reference the original draw date and a prize tier to add specificity.
To claim the prize, the recipient is directed to a website that closely mimics the lottery's official portal. The site collects name, address, date of birth, and lottery account credentials. A small 'ticket registration fee' or 'draw entry fee' is charged to confirm participation in the second-chance draw, or a bank account is requested for prize payment.
Credentials collected may be used to access and drain real lottery accounts. Fees paid are simply stolen. No second-chance prize exists.
Common red flags
- Second-chance lottery notification arrived without you having registered your ticket through the official lottery platform
- Email requests lottery account login credentials through a linked external page
- Fee required to confirm second-chance entry or to process the prize claim
- Email sender domain does not precisely match the official lottery organisation's domain
- Prize amount does not match any recognisable second-chance prize tier for the named lottery
- Link in email leads to a site with a slightly different URL from the official lottery website
How to protect yourself
- Register second-chance lottery tickets only through the official lottery website, accessed directly through your browser
- Never click links in lottery emails — go directly to the official site using your own bookmark
- Legitimate second-chance programmes do not charge entry fees
- Never share lottery account credentials through an email link
- Contact the official lottery directly using their published number to verify any second-chance win notification
How to report it
- Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Notify the official lottery organisation so they can warn their players
- Contact your state gaming commission if a state lottery's identity was impersonated
Frequently asked questions
Do real second-chance lottery programmes charge entry fees?
No. Legitimate second-chance programmes allow winners to submit non-winning tickets at no additional cost. Any email requesting a fee to enter a second-chance draw or to claim a second-chance win is fraudulent.