prize scam
Fraudulent lottery notification
A prize scam is a fraud where someone is told they've won a lottery, sweepstakes, or contest they never entered.
The catch: they must pay fees, taxes, or shipping costs to claim their "winnings." The prize either doesn't exist or never arrives.
Targets are often elderly: My grandmother lost thousands to a prize scam before we found out.
- lotteryRandomized prize distribution
- sweepstakesPrize contest decided randomly
- winnerOne who prevails
- fakeNot the real thing
- fake checkCounterfeit payment document
fraud · con · Nigerian prince · phone · email · fees · processing fee · check · Nigeria · advance · gullible · victim · money · wire · wire transfer · gift cards · claim · act now
- online scamsphishing, Nigerian prince, email spoofing, smishing, vishing
- phone scamsrobocall, robocalls, vishing, phishing call, phishing calls
- mail crimesmail fraud, postal fraud, mail theft, mail tampering, postal theft