You've won! Just pay the shipping or tax to claim your prize
A call, letter, or email says you've won a sweepstakes, lottery, or sweepstake from Publishers Clearing House, Reader's Digest, or a foreign lottery. To claim the prize, you must first pay shipping, processing fees, taxes, or "insurance" — often by gift card or wire transfer.
Also known as: lottery winnings scam, foreign lottery scam, PCH winner scam, advance-fee prize scam
What to do right now
- 1 It is illegal in the US to play a foreign lottery by mail or phone — and most calls about them are scams regardless
- 2 Publishers Clearing House does NOT call winners by phone. They show up in person, with the winning notification crew. There is no fee
- 3 Stop sending money. Each new 'one more fee' is the scam's pattern. There is no prize
- 4 If you have sent money, dispute the gift cards / wire with the issuer and your bank immediately
- 5 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ You did not enter the sweepstakes / lottery they say you won
- ⚠ Real prizes never require you to pay taxes or fees upfront — taxes come later, separately, to the IRS
- ⚠ Prize value is huge ($100,000+) and out of proportion to anything believable
- ⚠ Payment of fees is requested by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency — never by check
- ⚠ Caller claims to be from PCH, Reader's Digest, or a foreign government lottery
The sweepstakes scam is a classic advance-fee fraud and it disproportionately targets older adults. Scammers buy contact lists, send convincing “winner notifications,” and then squeeze the victim through escalating fees — first “shipping,” then “insurance,” then “tax,” then “anti-money-laundering fee” — until the victim runs out of money or family intervenes.
If you have started paying fees: stop. Every additional payment is the scam continuing. There is no prize. Talk to a family member or call the AARP Fraud Watch Helpline (877-908-3360) for help untangling it.