A message claiming you've won a prize — from a competition you don't remember entering — is one of the oldest scam formats, but it persists because the excitement of "winning" can override normal caution.
A text, email or social media message claims you've won a prize from a competition, often citing a well-known brand or lottery. To "claim" it, you're asked to pay a small administrative fee, customs charge, or provide detailed personal and banking information.
Some versions escalate, requesting increasingly larger fees for supposed complications in releasing the prize.
If you don't remember entering the specific competition mentioned, that alone is enough reason to be suspicious.
Contact the genuine brand directly, via their official website or customer service line, to verify independently.
Don't respond or pay anything. Report the message by forwarding texts to 7726 or reporting to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk.
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Prize scam campaigns cycle through different brands regularly. Stay ahead of the latest versions.
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