Is a prize notification that requires a fee to claim real?
No. Paying a fee to receive a prize is the defining feature of an advance-fee lottery scam — genuine prizes never work this way.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Explanation
Advance-fee prize scams arrive by email, letter, text, or social media. They claim you have won a lottery, contest, or sweepstake — often one you never entered — and that you can collect your winnings after paying a small tax, processing fee, legal fee, or customs charge. Every payment unlocks another requirement, and the prize never materialises. The money collected in fees is the entire goal. Real prize promoters deduct taxes and fees from the winnings themselves; they never ask the winner to pay upfront. If you didn't enter a competition, you cannot have won it.
Common red flags
- Prize for a competition you never entered
- Requirement to pay any fee before receiving winnings
- Notification by anonymous email or text rather than a verifiable organisation
- Request for personal details such as your bank account or ID
- Escalating fee demands after initial payment
What to do now
- Do not pay any fee
- Report to your national consumer protection or fraud authority
- If the message claims to be from a real organisation, contact that organisation directly to verify
- Delete the message
Frequently asked questions
What if I already paid one fee — should I pay more to get my money back?
No. Each additional fee is another stage of the same scam. Paying more will not recover previous losses. Stop all contact and report.