Lottery Scams
If someone says you won a lottery you never entered, it's a scam. Here's how to protect yourself.
⚠️ The golden rule: a legitimate lottery never asks you to pay a fee, taxes, or "insurance" up front to release a prize — and you can't win a draw you never entered.
Common lottery scams
- Advance-fee fraud. You're told you won, but must first wire money for "taxes" or "processing." Real prizes have any taxes withheld from the payout — never collected up front.
- Fake check overpayment. You receive a check for "winnings," are asked to deposit it and send back a portion. The check bounces days later and you're liable.
- Social-media & messaging prizes. A message (often impersonating a real lottery or a past winner) says you were "randomly selected." Official lotteries don't award prizes via DM.
- Phone & email notifications. Calls or emails claiming a foreign lottery win. Playing a foreign lottery by mail or phone is illegal in the US anyway.
- "Claim agent" fees. Someone offers to help you claim a prize for a cut. You never need a middleman to claim a legitimate ticket.
How to protect yourself
- ✅ Never pay to receive a prize, and never share bank or card details to "verify" a win.
- ✅ Verify winning numbers only against the official results and the state lottery site.
- ✅ Be suspicious of urgency, secrecy, and requests for gift cards or wire transfers.
- ✅ Report suspected scams to the FTC and your state lottery.
LotteryLab is an independent results & analysis site. We will never contact you to say you've won or ask for payment.