Identifying Fake Prize and Lottery Scams

Treat any message, email, or call claiming you have won a prize from a contest you did not enter as a definite scam attempt. Legitimate companies and lotteries do not select winners at random from phone numbers, nor do they require winners to pay “processing fees,” “customs duties,” or “taxes” upfront to claim a prize. These scams are designed to harvest your banking details or trick you into sending money to an overseas account. By recognizing that “free money” always comes with a catch, you can avoid the financial loss and identity theft associated with these frauds. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Steps to follow:

• Delete any messages claiming you’ve won an international lottery or a “grant” from a government body.
• Never click on links in these messages, as they can install malware on your device.
• Check the official social media pages of local brands if they are being impersonated to see if a real contest exists.
• Block the sender’s number and report the message as spam to your service provider.