Fact Checked by 
Cybercrime and identity theft are on the rise, and so are sweepstakes scams. You have to be vigilant when playing and sharing your data online. That is why we have put together this helpful guide to protect you.
In the guide, we will tell you some of the signs of sweepstakes scams, so that you can protect yourself from being cheated. We’ll also give you a set of tips to help you play safely on the legitimate sites as well.
How Do You Know if a Sweepstakes is Legitimate?
There are several factors that you need to take into consideration when assessing whether sites are the real deal or fake sweepstakes. We’ve broken down the most fundamental aspects below.
- Are Legitimate Sweepstakes Free? – According to U.S. law, a sweepstakes site cannot require a purchase, payment, or any form of consideration to enter or win. If you’re told you must pay for shipping or handling, send money for “processing” or “taxes”, or buy a product to claim a prize, it’s a scam.
- Prize Redemption Process – No payment should ever be required to claim a prize. Some sweepstakes casinos and sites will require you to have a minimum balance (e.g., $50).
- Mailing List Authorisation – Legitimate sweepstakes sites do not require you to join a mailing list to enter or win. You will be asked if you want to tick a box during the sign-up process if you want to be on the mailing list.
- CCPA and CAN-SPAM Compliant – Legitimate sweepstakes casinos that operate in the U.S. generally strive to be CCPA and CAN-SPAM compliant, especially if they want to avoid legal issues and maintain trust with users.
- Verifiable Contest Winner Reviews – Not all reviews are legitimate, so look for details such as the exact prize won, the date of the win, the company or sweepstakes name, and proof of payout or delivery. Screenshots of the prize are also a positive sign.
Lottery Sweepstakes: Scams Warning Signs?
Lottery fraud and sweepstakes scams are among the most common types of fraud. They are designed to trick people into believing they’ve won a prize when they haven’t. With that in mind, it’s hugely important that you can spot the warning signs to avoid being scammed.
- Notification of a Purchased Entry? – It’s a major red flag if you get a notification about a purchased entry into a sweepstakes draw that you don’t recall entering.
- Request for Payment to Enter – This will typically just be a small fee to confirm an entry or unlock a prize. However, it’s a trick designed to get you to send money via a variety of methods.
- Watch for the Fake Check Scheme – This is a common sweepstakes fraud method designed to add validity to a prize you have supposedly won. It leads to a request for payment or personal details.
- Personal Document or ID Requests – It’s a red flag if you are asked to enter sensitive information like address, date of birth, or bank details. They are trying to steal your identity or commit fraud.
- Requests for Crypto Wallet Addresses – This is a very obvious attempt to commit fraud. Never provide this information about your seed keywords under any circumstances.
6 Common Sweepstakes Scams Examples
Scammers will try any trick in the book to get someone’s personal data, even from professional sweepstakes players. They have a number of ways of doing this, but cybercriminal theft is a big part of their plan. It’s easy to get suckered into a scam online, so we’ve broken down what major red flags you should be on alert for.
Phishing for Email Addresses
Fake sweepstakes sites will send out phishing emails that include messages like “Congratulations! You’ve won a sweepstakes prize.” The aim here is to get you to click on a link that you believe will lead to you claiming your prize, but it sends you to a bogus page. If the page asks you to confirm private details, then you should see this as a major red flag.
Phishing is also extended to scam websites that mimic legitimate ones. If you look closely at the URL, you should be able to spot misspellings, or additional letters or characters. As an example, the scammers may look to represent the legitimate sweepstakes casino site Jemlit, but their URL would include additional characters (s) and look something like Jemlit!.com.
Physical Postal Mail
Similar to the email method mentioned above, you might also be sent a physical letter that says you have won a big prize in a sweepstakes draw. These letters will normally ask you to call a number. Be careful here because that number may be a premium line that costs money to call. If you do call the number and are asked to pay any fees or taxes up front, then that’s a red flag.
Sweepstakes scams examples include creating fake profile pages on social media, mimicking a well-known brand. However, there will be typical misspellings on these profiles (e.g., @Starbuks instead of @Starbucks), and that’s the red flag you should be looking for. It’s also worth checking if the page has a verified badge and how many followers. If it doesn’t have many followers, then be very wary.
WhatsApp and Telegram Messages
Be careful of direct messages on social media. If someone says you won a contest, do not click any links to verify your identity. This link will typically lead to a fake page or form that is designed to collect your personal information, including stealing banking details.
You might get a friend request from a fake account pretending to be someone who has won a sweepstakes prize. If you do accept, you might get a message pushing you to enter via a link. This could easily be a phishing lure. If you are not sure, check to see how many photos are on that person’s social media account, because few photos are a red flag.
5 Simple Tips to Protect from Sweepstakes Fraud
Sweepstakes fraud is on the rise due to the number of players and the number of new contests available. We’re here to help with five simple tips.
- NEVER pay to win – Legitimate sweepstakes will never ask you to make a payment, and that includes fees, taxes, or shipping costs. If you’re asked to send money or provide your credit card details to claim a prize, don’t, because it’s almost certainly a scam.
- Verify the source – Ideally, you should be checking if the sweepstakes is sponsored by a reputable company. Do this by going to their official website or by contacting them via email or telephone. Also, try and avoid clicking on suspicious-looking links.
- If a prize seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be very sceptical about prizes that appear unusually extravagant, especially if you don’t remember entering the contest. Scammers often use high-value prizes like luxury cars or vacations to lure in victims.
- Watch for warning signs in communication – If you see any of these, it may be a sweepstakes scam. Look for poor spelling and grammar. Be cautious of urgent phrases like “Act Now” or “Final Notice.” Also, watch for generic greetings like “Dear Winner.”
- Be very protective of your personal information – Unless you are completely confident in the site you are dealing with, do not share sensitive details like your social security number, bank account, or driver’s license. Real sweepstakes sites and social sweepstakes casinos rarely ask for anything more than your name and address.
Conclusion
This page should hopefully demonstrate the need for vigilance when it comes to assessing whether a sweepstakes site is genuine. Remember, U.S. law dictates that any sweepstakes site cannot require a purchase, payment, or any form of consideration to enter or win. If you are asked for any kind of prepayment, then you are likely looking at a fake sweepstakes site.
Responsible Gambling
Whilst this page focuses on lottery and sweepstakes scams, it’s also worth noting that you must play these games responsibly. There are still elements of these games that can become addictive, so you must be disciplined with your approach to sweepstakes games.
If you would like more information on this subject, check out our responsible gambling resource page or any of the following links:
