How to spot a fake sweepstakes

There is one rule that catches most of it: a legitimate sweepstakes never asks a winner to pay anything to collect a prize. Not shipping, not insurance, not customs, not a "processing fee", and not taxes paid to the sponsor. Taxes on prizes are real, but you settle them with the tax authority, never by wiring money to whoever contacted you.

Before you enter

• No official rules, no entry. A real US sweepstakes publishes rules naming the sponsor, the entry period, the prize and its stated value, eligibility, and how winners are chosen. If none exist, there is nothing binding the sponsor to anything.
• Check the sponsor is a real, named entity with a physical address in the rules. "Marketing partners" with no legal name is a bad sign.
• Look at what is being collected. Name and email is normal. A social security number, a bank account, a photo of your licence, or a payment card at entry time is not.
• Beware of urgency at the entry stage. Real promotions run for weeks and state the end date plainly.

After a "win" notification

This is where the money is actually lost, because the message arrives when you are pleased rather than sceptical.

• You cannot win a sweepstakes you did not enter. This single fact resolves most of them.
• Any request for payment is fatal. See above.
• A cheque that arrives first is the scam, not proof against it. The classic version sends a real-looking cheque, asks you to deposit it and wire back a portion of "fees". The cheque bounces weeks later and the wired money is gone.
• Check the sender domain, not the display name. Legitimate winner notifications come from the sponsor or its named fulfilment agency, and reference the specific promotion.
• Real affidavits are normal. For prizes above about $600, being asked to sign an affidavit of eligibility and a liability release, and to provide a tax form, is standard and not a red flag. Being asked to pay is.

If you are unsure

Go back to the official rules of the promotion you actually entered and compare: the sponsor name, the prize description and the stated value should match the notification exactly. Contact the sponsor through contact details you find yourself, never through a link or number in the message.