Is an email claiming I have won an international lottery I did not enter real?
No. You cannot win a lottery you did not enter. This is one of the longest-running advance fee fraud formats.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Explanation
International lottery scam emails have been circulating for decades. They typically claim you have won a large prize in a lottery run in a foreign country and instruct you to contact a claims agent. When you do, you are asked to pay taxes, legal fees, or insurance before the prize can be released. Each payment generates a new fee requirement. The prize never exists. Real lotteries only contact winners who entered with a verifiable ticket — they do not email random addresses about unsolicited winnings, and they never require winners to pay fees upfront. If you receive such an email, delete it without responding. Responding confirms your email address is active and invites further contact.
Common red flags
- Lottery you have no memory of entering
- Request to keep the win confidential
- Processing fee, legal fee, or tax payment required before the prize is released
- Claims agent communicates only by email or messaging app
- Prize amount increases with each exchange to increase your investment
What to do now
- Delete the email without responding
- Never pay any fee to claim a lottery prize
- Report it to your national fraud service
- Block the sender
Frequently asked questions
What if the email shows my real name and address?
Personal data from breaches, marketing lists, and social media is widely available. Scammers use it to make messages feel personalised and credible — it does not mean the lottery is real.