Is the Lottery Sweepstakes Scam real or a scam?

This is a confirmed scam. Do not click any links, do not provide personal information, and do not send money. This is a other scam.

What should I do if I received the Lottery Sweepstakes Scam?

Do not respond or click any links. Block the sender, report the message as spam, and delete it. If it came via text message, forward it to 7726 (SPAM).

What if I already fell for the Lottery Sweepstakes Scam?

Change your passwords immediately, contact your bank if you shared financial information, place a fraud alert on your credit, and file a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

How do I report the Lottery Sweepstakes Scam?

Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov, and your local law enforcement. If it impersonated a specific company, report it to that company as well.

Lottery Sweepstakes Scam: Is It a Scam?

High Prevalence Type: Other

Yes, this is a scam. Do not click any links or provide personal information.

Lottery and sweepstakes scams notify you that you have won a large cash prize, luxury car, or vacation, but you must pay taxes, processing fees, or shipping costs upfront. The prize does not exist and the fees never stop.

How This Scam Works

You receive a letter, email, text, or phone call claiming you won a prize from a sweepstakes, foreign lottery, or random drawing. The amount is always large and exciting, often hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. To claim your winnings, you must pay taxes, legal fees, customs charges, or insurance costs. After paying, new fees arise: transfer charges, anti-money-laundering compliance fees, and more. Some scammers send a fake check for part of the winnings, then ask you to wire back the taxes. The check bounces days later. Victims may lose their entire savings chasing a nonexistent prize.

Red Flags to Watch For

You cannot win a lottery or sweepstakes you did not enter
Any requirement to pay money to claim winnings
Foreign lotteries (it is illegal for US residents to play foreign lotteries)
Pressure to keep the winnings secret
Check sent for 'part of the winnings' with instructions to wire back fees
Communication from free email accounts (gmail, yahoo, etc.)

Example Scam Messages

Letter: 'OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION: You have been selected as the winner of the International Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes! Your prize: $2,500,000.00 USD. To process your payment, please send a $3,500 tax clearance fee via Western Union to our claims agent.' --- Email: 'Dear Lucky Winner, Your email address was randomly selected in the Google Worldwide Lottery draw. You have won $950,000. Contact our claims department at [email protected] with your full name, address, and phone number.' --- Text: 'Congratulations! You won $100,000 in the Mega Millions promotional drawing! Claim now: mega-winner-claim.com. Processing fee: $150.'

What to Do If You Received This

You cannot win a contest you did not enter
Legitimate lotteries never ask winners to pay upfront fees
It is illegal for US residents to participate in foreign lotteries
Delete the message and do not respond
Publishers Clearing House and Google do not run lotteries via email

What to Do If You Fell For It

Stop all payments immediately
Contact your bank about any wire transfers or payments
Do not pay additional fees even if told previous payments will be lost
File a police report
If you sent personal information, place a credit freeze and monitor your reports

How to Report This Scam

Report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
File a complaint with FBI IC3 at ic3.gov
Report to the US Postal Inspection Service if received by mail at uspis.gov
Report to your state attorney general

Last updated: February 10, 2026