Every day thousands of UK residents receive notifications telling them they have won a lottery, prize draw or competition they never entered. These are almost always scams. This guide explains how lottery and prize scams work and the golden rule that will always keep you safe.
You receive a letter, email, text or phone call telling you that you have won a large sum of money — often millions of pounds — in a lottery, sweepstake or prize draw. To claim your winnings you need to pay a release fee, administration charge, tax payment or legal fee. Once you pay the fee another fee emerges and then another. Your winnings never arrive.
The Spanish lottery scam — a letter claiming you have won the Spanish National Lottery or El Gordo. Spain's lottery does not contact winners in the UK by unsolicited letter.
Online prize draw notifications — pop-ups or emails claiming you are the lucky visitor selected to receive a prize. These are always fake.
Premium rate number scams — you are told to call a number to claim your prize. The number charges £10 or more per minute and the prize does not exist.
Social media prize draws — fake prize draw posts on Facebook claiming you have won by being selected from people who liked or shared a post.
Do not pay any fee — legitimate prize wins never require upfront payment. Any fee request confirms it is a scam.
Do not call premium rate numbers — hang up immediately on any number starting 09.
Report it — report lottery scam letters to Report Fraud and to the company being impersonated if applicable.
Talk to elderly relatives — lottery scams disproportionately target elderly people. Have an open conversation and agree that they will always check with you before paying any fees related to prize wins.
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