How do I protect myself from lottery and prize scams?
You cannot win a lottery you did not enter, and legitimate prizes never require an upfront fee to collect — any message saying you have won and must pay first is a scam.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
Lottery and prize scams are among the oldest fraud types and remain highly effective because the emotional appeal of unexpected good fortune is powerful. The structure is invariable: you receive a letter, email, text, or social media message saying you have won a prize, but to claim it you must pay a processing fee, tax, customs charge, or legal fee first. That payment goes directly to the scammer, and no prize exists.
The logical test is simple: you cannot win a lottery you did not enter. Legitimate sweepstakes — including Publisher's Clearing House, which is real — do not require any purchase or fee to enter or to claim a prize. Legitimate competition prizes have taxes withheld at source or handled by the organiser, not paid upfront by the winner. The notion that a winner must pay a release fee before receiving millions is a legal fiction invented specifically to defraud.
Scammers impersonate real lotteries (UK National Lottery, Powerball, Mega Millions), real technology companies (Google, Microsoft, Apple), and even government agencies. They use official-looking letterheads, realistic cheques for a partial prize that will bounce days later, and urgency to prevent you thinking carefully. If a cheque arrives and you deposit it and wire back a fee before it clears, you are liable for the full cheque amount when it bounces.
If you receive a prize notification that seems credible, look up the sponsoring organisation's actual contact details independently and call to confirm. Do not use any contact information provided in the notification itself.
Common red flags
- Prize for a lottery, competition, or sweepstakes you did not enter
- Required upfront fee, tax, or processing charge to release winnings
- Urgency to respond within 24 to 72 hours or you forfeit the prize
- Instructions to keep the prize confidential until funds are released
- Contact details provided in the message rather than pointing to an official website
- Partial-prize cheque arrives, and you are asked to deposit and wire back part of it
What to do now
- Do not respond, pay any fee, or provide personal details
- If you think there is a chance it is real, look up the organisation independently and call to verify
- If a cheque arrived, do not deposit it — it will bounce and you will owe the bank
- Report prize scam mail to the US Postal Inspection Service (postalinspectors.uspis.gov)
- Report online or email prize scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- Alert family members — older adults receive disproportionate numbers of prize scam letters
Frequently asked questions
Is Publisher's Clearing House real?
Yes, Publisher's Clearing House is a legitimate sweepstakes company and does give away real prizes. However, it never requires a purchase or fee to win, and it contacts winners in person at their door for major prizes — not via email or phone demanding a fee payment.
I deposited the cheque and sent the fee. Can I get my money back?
Contact your bank immediately and explain the situation. Banks sometimes reverse wire transfers quickly if reported the same day, but success is not guaranteed. File a police report and report to the FTC. The fake cheque will bounce and the bank will recover that amount from your account.