Says you won something
Fake prize or lottery
Is a call, text or letter saying I won a prize but must pay fees a scam?
Yes. Real prizes are free, and you never pay fees or taxes up front. Do not pay or share details.
Real organizations never do this. Stop. Hang up or delete it.
Also searched as: Publishers Clearing House, PCH, Jamaican lottery, Mega Millions winner, you won a car, sweepstakes winner, prize patrol, lottery call, you won a car, prize fee, sweepstakes call, sweepstakes, lottery
Draft: we're still checking this page. The quotes below are word for word from their sources.
What to do
On the phone right now?
- Stop. Hang up or close the message. Don't tap anything.
- Check. Call a number you already have, like the one on your card or bill.
- Talk to someone you trust before you pay anyone.
If anyone is in danger right now, call 911.
If you already paid
- Call the company you paid through right away: your bank, card company, gift card company, or the wire or Zelle service. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
- Call the Justice Department's National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If it happened online, report it at IC3.gov too.
General information, not legal or financial advice. If you've lost money, contact your bank and report it.
How it works
1 They reach you by
- Phone call
- Text message
- Letter or postcard
- Social media
2 They pretend to be
- Prize company
- Police or government
3 They ask for
- Money
- Personal details
- Gift cards
- Crypto
- Wire or Zelle
- Tap a link
What it can look like
Example pattern, not a real message
Says you won something. What gives it away:
- Pay with gift cards
- Pay with crypto
- Send a wire or Zelle
What they may say
“it’s a limited time offer”
“National Sweepstakes Bureau”
“you need to pay “taxes,” “shipping and handling charges,” or “processing fees”
Warning signs
- They tell you to buy gift cards and read them the numbers. No real agency or company asks to be paid that way.
- They want payment in cryptocurrency, or tell you to use a Bitcoin machine. That money is very hard to get back.
- They push you to send a wire transfer or Zelle payment. That money is very hard to get back.
- They contacted you, then ask for your Social Security, Medicare or bank numbers.
- They want you to use their link or their phone number. Look up the real website or number yourself.
- They say you must pay right now or something bad will happen. Real organizations give you time to check.
Why we say this
Spot scammers impersonating well-known charities and sweepstakes
Scammers call people claiming they have won a charity-sponsored sweepstakes, often by pretending to be from a charity the person has donated to. The FTC says real prizes are free, and anyone asking you to pay or share personal information such as your Social Security number to get a prize is a scammer.
Sometimes imposters advertise on platforms like Google Search and Bing to lead you to false information. Scroll past the paid ads to help avoid these imposters.
That random call saying “you’ve won a prize” is a scam
A caller says you won a car, laptop or cash, sometimes claiming to be from a famous sweepstakes company. Then they say you must pay fees to get it. There is no prize.
You get a call out of the blue saying you’ve won something — maybe a new car, a laptop, or money. The caller might even claim they’re with a well-known sweepstakes company like Publishers Clearing House, hoping to seem legitimate.
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Before you can claim your prize, they say you need to pay “taxes,” “shipping and handling charges,” or “processing fees.”
Bottom line: if they say there’s a charge to get your prize, it’s a scam.
Scammers will say things like “it’s a limited time offer” to try to pressure you to act quickly. So, if anyone tries to rush you into paying, stop.
Search online for the name of the contest or the company with words like “complaint,” “review,” or “scam” to [see what others are saying]
You get a call out of the blue saying you’ve won something — maybe a new car, a laptop, or money.
The caller might even claim they’re with a well-known sweepstakes company like Publishers Clearing House, hoping to seem legitimate. (They’re not.) Before you can claim your prize, they say you need to pay “taxes,” “shipping and handling charges,” or “processing fees.” (You don’t.)
Bottom line: if they say there’s a charge to get your prize, it’s a scam.
Scammers will say things like “it’s a limited time offer” to try to pressure you to act quickly. So, if anyone tries to rush you into paying, stop.
Fake Prize, Sweepstakes, and Lottery Scams
The FTC's guide to fake prize, lottery and sweepstakes scams. It covers calls, emails, letters and texts, fake government names, foreign lotteries, fake checks and odd payment methods.
**If you have to pay to get your prize, it’s a scam**. Real prizes are free. So if someone tells you to pay a fee for "taxes," "shipping and handling charges," “processing fees,” or “customs duties” to get your prize, you’re dealing with a scammer.
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There’s absolutely no reason to ever give your bank account or credit card number, or personal information like your Social Security number, to claim any prize.
They make up fake names like the “National Sweepstakes Bureau,” or pretend they’re from a real [agency](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam) like the Federal Trade Commission. The truth is, the government won’t call you demanding money to collect a prize.
Messages about a foreign lottery are almost certainly from a scammer — and it’s a bad idea to respond.
If you deposit the check, it can take the bank weeks to figure out it’s fake.
They often insist you pay by [wiring money](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-you-wire-money) through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram, [use a payment app](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/mobile-payment-apps-how-avoid-scam-when-you-use-one) like Apple Pay, CashApp, PayPal, or Zelle, send cash, or pay with [gift cards](https://consumer.ftc.gov/giftcards) or [cryptocurrency](https://consumer.ftc.gov/cryptocurrency) to get your prize.
If the prize promotion came in the mail, report it to the [US. Postal Inspection Service.](http://www.uspis.gov/report/)
You get a call, email, or letter saying you won a sweepstakes, lottery, or prize — like an iPad, a new car, or something else.
Real prizes are free. So if someone tells you to pay a fee for "taxes," "shipping and handling charges," “processing fees,” or “customs duties” to get your prize, you’re dealing with a scammer.
But no real sweepstakes company will contact you asking for money to claim a prize. If you’re unsure, look up the real company’s contact information yourself and contact them directly.
Scammers send you a check and ask you to send some of the money back.
Don’t pay for a prize (scam)
Scammers call or text to say you won money, a car or a watch. When you reply, they ask for fees or taxes. They often use names that sound like real sweepstakes companies.
You get a call or a text saying you’ve won thousands (or even millions) of dollars, a car, a fancy watch — or maybe all three! You don’t remember entering a contest, but free stuff sounds good.
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But if you reply, they’ll say you need to pay to get the prize — maybe for processing fees or taxes.
Scammers often use names that sound like well-known sweepstakes or companies, like Publishers Clearing House (PCH) — to trick you into trusting them.
**Real prizes are free.** If there’s a charge, it’s a scam.
**Scammers tell you to act NOW.** They’ll say it’s a limited offer and try to rush you.
If you want to double-check, reach out to the real company. Just make sure to use contact information you found yourself — not contact info from the person who called you.
Winners are losers in lottery & sweepstakes scams
A retired Navy veteran was told he had won a sweepstakes prize but first had to pay a tax fee, and he was then pushed into gift-card and wire payments that reportedly cost him more than $100,000. The article uses his case to urge families to pause, verify independently, and talk openly about suspicious offers.
But here’s what happens next: they tell you there’s a fee, some taxes, or customs duties to pay.
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They ask for your bank account information, or ask you to send money via a wire transfer or to purchase gift cards and provide the card numbers.
Both payment methods are a sure sign of a scam.
Publishers Clearing House imposters keep coming
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania detectives warn of a fake letter claiming a $750,000 Publishers Clearing House prize, sent with a realistic $8,750.20 cashier's check. The letter asks recipients to deposit the check and send money back for taxes and fees, and the check is worthless.
You're told that, to claim your prize, you need to deposit the check and send some of the money back for made-up expenses.
1 more quote from this source
Never deposit a check and send back money, even if the funds appear in your account. That's a sure sign of a scam.
Scam Prevention
The real Publishers Clearing House warns that impostors use its name by phone, email, letter and social media. It says no payment is ever needed to enter or win, and it tells people to report scams to the FTC.
Unfortunately, scammers continue to misuse our well-recognized name and pretend to be from the “real” PCH.
2 more quotes from this source
These imposter scams can come through phone calls, emails, letters, social media messages, or other channels — but the goal is always the same: to trick you into believing you’ve won a prize and then demand money or personal information.
The real Publishers Clearing House will never call you or ask you to pay money to enter or claim a prize. No purchase or fee is ever required to enter or win.
Scam Awareness for Veteran’s Day: How Families Can Help Keep Veterans Safe
A retired Navy veteran was told he had won a sweepstakes prize but first had to pay a tax fee, and he was then pushed into gift-card and wire payments that reportedly cost him more than $100,000. The article uses his case to urge families to pause, verify independently, and talk openly about suspicious offers.
The caller said there was just one catch: he needed to pay $500 in “taxes” first.
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The veteran was told to buy MoneyPak cards and send the codes, while keeping the supposed winnings secret.
The requests didn’t stop with a couple of payments. They grew into wire transfers, a large loan, and monthly installment payments.
Don’t pay taxes, fees or “processing costs” to collect a prize. A legitimate prize will never require you to make a payment before receiving it
Never share gift-card numbers, one-time codes, banking credentials or your SSN with an unsolicited caller.
Fake Sweepstakes Jackpot Targets Seniors With a Costly Catch
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania detectives warn of a fake letter claiming a $750,000 Publishers Clearing House prize, sent with a realistic $8,750.20 cashier's check. The letter asks recipients to deposit the check and send money back for taxes and fees, and the check is worthless.
The scheme includes a realistic-looking cashier’s check for $8,750.20 and instructions that could leave victims owing money after the check is rejected.
4 more quotes from this source
The scam also instructs recipients to keep the prize letter strictly confidential until the winnings have been processed, claiming secrecy is necessary to prevent false claims.
The FTC makes the distinction clear: “Real prizes are free.” A demand for upfront taxes, handling charges or processing fees to release a promised prize is a hallmark of a sweepstakes scam.
Officials warn against sending money through gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers in response to prize notifications. Those payment methods are frequently requested by fraudsters because recovering the money can be difficult.
Anyone who receives a similar letter should avoid depositing the enclosed check or contacting the purported claims agent until the correspondence has been independently verified.