Lottery / Prize Scam: How It Works & How to Stay Safe

Quick summary

• •How it works: You "won" a lottery you never entered; to claim it you must pay a fee or tax first.
• •Warning sign: Winning a contest you never entered
• •Warning sign: Fee/tax required to release the prize
• •Warning sign: Pressure and secrecy
• •Do this: Real prizes never require an upfront fee

How the lottery / prize scam works

• —You "won" a lottery you never entered; to claim it you must pay a fee or tax first.
• —The disguise changes, but the goal is always your money or your codes.

Warning signs

• —Winning a contest you never entered
• —Fee/tax required to release the prize
• —Pressure and secrecy

How to protect yourself

• —Real prizes never require an upfront fee
• —Ignore and block
• —Never share bank or OTP details

What to do if you are targeted

• —Stop — do not pay or share any OTP/PIN.
• —Call the cyber-fraud helpline 1930 within the golden hour.
• —File a report at cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots and transaction details.
• —Inform your bank to freeze/raise a dispute on the transaction.

Scam vs. legitimate: how to tell

Frequently asked questions

Official sources & helplines

• Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 — National cyber-fraud financial helpline — call within the "golden hour" to freeze fraudulent transfers.
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal — Official Government of India portal to report financial and other cybercrimes.