## Think Twice: Did You Really Win the Lottery?

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Receiving a message that says you've won a lottery, sweepstakes, or prize can be exciting, but it may be a scam.

Lottery scammers often contact people by phone, email, text message, social media, or even regular mail claiming they've won a large cash prize. They ask for payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency—methods that are difficult to trace and nearly impossible to reverse.

## How the scam works

- **The win arrives unannounced.** A call, letter, or message says you've won, sometimes from an official-sounding name like the "National Sweepstakes Bureau."
- **A fee stands between you and the prize.** You're told to pay "taxes," "shipping," "customs," or a "processing fee" before the winnings can be released.
- **The fees keep coming.** Once you pay the first one, walking away means losing what you've already sent, so a second fee appears, then a third. Each feels like the final step before the payout.
- **They pick payment methods that can't be undone.** Gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, all nearly impossible to trace or reverse.
- **Sometimes they send you a check first.** It's meant to "cover fees." You deposit it, wire part of it back, and weeks later the check bounces, leaving you on the hook.

## Remember

- Real prizes don't require upfront payments. If you have to pay money to collect winnings, it's a scam.
- No one can charge you to improve your odds. Charging you to enter or to boost your chances is illegal, so anyone asking is a scammer.
- You cannot win a lottery you never entered.
- A foreign lottery is always a red flag. It's illegal for U.S. residents to play one, so anyone offering is not on your side.
- No legitimate prize requires your Social Security number or bank account to "release" it.

## What You Should Do

- Stop communicating with the sender
- Do not click links or open attachments
- Do not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers
- Do not share banking, credit card, or personal information

If a prize notification seems too good to be true, it probably is. Take a moment to verify the claim before sending money or sharing personal information.

Want extra protection from scams and fraud? Try [**Carefull**](/content/site-root.html) free for 30 days and see how easy it is to protect your family and your finances.

### Jenny Leight

Jenny Leight supports Business Development & Strategy at Carefull, the first financial safety platform designed to protect aging adults and their families from elder fraud, scams, and money mistakes.

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