A letter arrives in the mail with an official-looking seal. Or maybe it is a phone call, an email, or a social media message. The news is exciting: you have won a sweepstakes, a lottery drawing, or a prize giveaway worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. All you need to do to claim your winnings is pay a small processing fee, cover the taxes upfront, or provide your bank details so the money can be deposited.

It feels like a dream. But there is one question that should stop you cold: did you actually enter this contest? If the answer is no, then you did not win anything. You are being scammed.

The Golden Rule: You Cannot Win What You Did Not Enter

This is the simplest and most important rule when it comes to prize scams. Legitimate lotteries and sweepstakes require you to enter. You must buy a ticket or submit an entry. No legitimate organization selects random people who never participated and tells them they have won.

If someone contacts you saying you won a prize you do not remember entering, it is a scam. There are no exceptions to this rule.

⚠️ Warning: You will never be asked to pay money to collect legitimate winnings. Real prizes do not require upfront fees, tax payments, or “processing charges.” If someone asks you to pay before you can receive a prize, it is always a scam.

How the Upfront Fee Trick Works

The core of every lottery scam is the upfront fee. Scammers tell you that before your winnings can be released, you must pay:

Each fee is presented as the final obstacle. Once you pay it, another fee appears. And another. Victims have reported paying dozens of separate fees over months, believing each time that the next payment would unlock their prize. The prize never comes because it never existed.

Taxes on Winnings That Do Not Exist

One particularly convincing trick is demanding that winners pay taxes upfront. Scammers know that real lottery winnings are subject to taxes, so the request sounds legitimate. But here is what they do not tell you: in the United States, taxes on real winnings are either withheld automatically by the lottery organization or paid when you file your tax return. You never have to send tax money to a third party before receiving a prize.

The Publisher’s Clearing House Impersonation

Publisher’s Clearing House — famous for its Prize Patrol showing up at people’s doors with oversized checks — is one of the most impersonated brands in sweepstakes scams. Scammers send letters, emails, and make phone calls claiming to be from PCH, telling victims they have won millions.

The real Publisher’s Clearing House has stated clearly: they will never call or email you to tell you that you have won. They will never ask you to pay anything to claim a prize. And they will never ask for your bank account or credit card information. If someone contacts you claiming to be from PCH and asks for money, it is a fraud.

💡 Tip: Legitimate sweepstakes winners are notified in person or by certified mail. They are never asked to pay fees, buy gift cards, or wire money. If it requires payment, it is not a prize — it is a scam.

Common Formats for This Scam

Lottery and sweepstakes scams come in many forms:

Regardless of the format, the pattern is always the same: you won something you never entered, and you must pay to claim it.

Why Older Adults Are Targeted

Seniors are disproportionately targeted by lottery scams for several reasons. Many grew up entering legitimate sweepstakes and have positive associations with the concept. Some may be on fixed incomes and find the idea of a windfall especially appealing. And scammers know that older adults are often more trusting of authority and official-sounding communications.

If you have an older parent or grandparent, talk to them about this scam. Let them know that no one will ever call to tell them they won something they did not enter, and that real winnings never require upfront payment.

How to Protect Yourself

What to Do If You Have Been Paying

If you have already sent money to a lottery or sweepstakes scam, stop all payments immediately. Then:

The hardest part of recovering from a sweepstakes scam is accepting that the prize was never real. But once you stop paying, the calls and letters will eventually stop too. Share this article with someone who needs to hear it.

🛡️ Got a suspicious message? Check it free at NoScamForMe.com — takes seconds.