How To Know If A Sweepstakes Is Legitimate and Avoid Scams

Imagine opening your email and seeing the words "Congratulations, you won $50,000!”.  But is it real and legitimate? Sweepstakes are exciting along with the prospect of winning, while the increase of online activity has created more real sweepstakes opportunities, it has also increased  the number of giveaway scams.  You have to be careful when entering and responding to a winning notification to make sure the giveaway is real.  People have been fooled by fraudulent sweepstakes where they’re asked to pay money to enter or claim a prize.  Real sweepstakes are free and don’t require any payments.  In this guide, I’ll show you how to identify legitimate sweepstakes and what to look out for to avoid falling for a scam.  

Why Are Sweepstakes So Popular?

There’s a reason sweepstakes are so popular. They offer the chance to win money or prizes with a simple entry form.  The prospect of winning a big or small prize is exciting.  Anyone can win, and that person could be you!  Many companies and websites offer the chance to win, whether it’s a big prize, like $10,000,000 or a small prize like $50, or merchandise like a new car, or experiences like a big trip somewhere.  Whatever the prize, you have a real chance at winning.  Along with the numerous legitimate sweepstakes, the advent of online scams has risen dramatically.  It’s important to spot the difference BEFORE you enter to avoid any potential problems if you get notified that you won.  

Differences Between Legit Sweepstakes And Scams

A legitimate sweepstakes has many features that distinguish it from a fraudulent one.  These include:

• It’s free to enter: a real sweepstakes will never ask you for money or consideration to enter 
  
• Clear rules: there should be a prominent link to the official rules which include the eligibility requirements,  If there are no rules or they look suspicious, don’t enter
  
• Sponsored by a real, verifiable company.  If there’s no disclosure or link about who is sponsoring the sweeps, then it’s likely a fake.  The company sponsoring should be a legitimate company that has a verifiable website
  
• Winners are chosen randomly.  By law, the winner of a sweepstakes must be chosen randomly without any bias, Any other mechanism is not legitimate.

By contrast, look out for the following to identify a scam sweepstakes:

• Requests for payments, fees, taxes or purchases upfront before you enter.  Real giveaways are 100% free.
  
• Vague or missing contact information.  There should be a way to get in touch with the sponsor, either on the entry page or in the rules/privacy policy of the site.
  
• Claims that you won something you never entered.
  
• Emails from non-company domains like @gmail, @microsoft and @yahoo.

There will be differences in the winning email you get from these two types of giveaways.  A legit email will come from the domain of the sponsoring company, such as members@company.com, not a gmail or other email address.  They will never ask for payment or fees to claim your prize.  The prize you won matches the sweepstakes that you entered not some other random prize.  And the email will not pressure you to act now or keep your win a secret.

On the other hand, a scam winning email will ask you for some type of payment to claim your prize either wire, check, credit card or online payment.  They will also pressure you to take action quickly which may cause you to provide sensitive information that you shouldn’t.  And they will ask for sensitive personal information, like bank account details or social security number in order to claim your prize.  

Common Sweepstakes Scams

1. “You’ve Already Won”.  These scams tell you that you’ve won even if you haven’t entered.  
2. Fake Social Media Giveaways: Scammers impersonate influencers and companies on 
   
3. Facebook, Tiktok and Instagram.  You can avoid these by verifying they are official sites through blue checkmarks, verified usernames and having official links
4. Email notifications from suspicious domains.  If the email is not from a company like @company.com, but is from @gmail or some other domain, it is suspicious.
5. Payment or Fee Scam.  If they ask for money to enter or claim a prize in the form of “Processing fee” or “delivery fee”, it is a fraud.  By law, a sweepstakes can’t require any form of payment.
6. “Fake check” scams where they will send you a winner’s check, but it bounces after you deposit it.  In the meantime, you have paid taxes to cover the prize amount
7. Foreign lotteries: messages claiming you won a foreign lottery are illegal, as it is not legal or US citizens to enter foreign lotteries.  
8. Impersonation: scammers will use the logo and images of well known companies to trick you into thinking they are real.  
9. High pressure tactics: scammers will urge you to act quickly or risk losing your prize.  This is designed to prevent victims from taking time to consult others about their prize.

How To Verify A Sweepstakes Is Real

First, check the official rules. Every real sweepstakes must have clear, accessible rules including specific prize details, what is the entry period and who is eligible to win. You should also research the sponsor of the giveaway  Google the company name + “sweepstakes”. Visit the brand’s official website to verify the promotion exists.  Confirm that it is a free entry. Real sweepstakes never require a purchase or payment to enter or win.  Be wary of unusual communication channels. Most real winners are notified by email or phone, not random social DMs or texts. Look for a winner’s list. Reputable sweepstakes often publish winners after the contest ends, which is a good sign of authenticity.

What To Do If You Suspect A Scam

If you suspect a scam email, don’t click any links or download a file.  This is a common way for you to get infected with malware or viruses.  You should never have to click anything to claim a prize. Block and report the sender, whether it's email or social media. Contact the company directly or visit their site and verify their sweepstakes

Report scams to the FTC, State Attorney General and Better Business Bureau

Moolastakes Gives You Real Chances To Win

Here at Moolastakes, we award real prizes to real people.  Our giveaways are 100% free, with no purchase necessary.  We never ask for sensitive information, like bank accounts or credit cards.  You have a real chance to win our amazing prizes like $5,000,000, $888,888.88, $300,000 and so much more.  And we give away a daily prize of $50 to a lucky winner.  You could be next but you have to enter to win!