In a lottery or prize scam, the scammers may call or email to tell you that you’ve won a prize through a lottery or sweepstakes and then ask you to pay an upfront payment for fees and taxes. In some cases, they may claim to be from a federal government agency.
What to do: Avoid providing any personal or financial information, including credit cards or Social Security numbers, to anyone you don’t know. Also, never make an upfront payment for a promised prize, especially if they demand immediate payment. Learn more about lottery or prize scam red flags.