By Moti Shay · updated July 25, 2026
A text, an email or a pop-up: "Congratulations! You've won an iPhone 16 / $500 / a gift card." Except you didn't enter any contest. It's one of the oldest scams on the web, and it still works, because it promises exactly what we want to hear. Remember the simple rule: you can't win a lottery you never entered. Here's how the scam works, and how to check any "prize" message in seconds.
The classic forms: • The text or WhatsApp: "Your number was drawn! Claim your prize here: [link]" • The pop-up while browsing: "You're visitor 1,000,000! Spin the wheel" • The "international lottery" email: you supposedly won millions in a foreign lottery, you just need to "unlock" the transfer • The fake brand giveaway: a big retailer "celebrates its anniversary" and gives prizes in exchange for a survey In every case, "claiming" the prize goes through a link, and that's where the trap snaps shut.
Three possible goals: 1. Your card: they ask for a small "shipping fee" or "processing fee" to receive the prize. The prize doesn't exist; your card is now theirs. 2. Your data: name, address, phone, sometimes an ID, resold or used for further targeted fraud. 3. Your phone: the link installs a malicious app or signs you up to a premium service (a few dollars a week, quietly charged to your mobile bill).
• You didn't enter any contest, that's the definitive sign • You have to pay to receive a prize: a real prize never costs anything • Artificial urgency: "claim within 24h or your prize will be reassigned" • A shortened link or a domain unrelated to the brand named • Typos, an over-excited tone, capitals and exclamation marks everywhere • They ask for your card details "to deposit the prize", a deposit never needs your CVV
Fake brand (or celebrity) accounts copy real giveaways: same logo, same visuals, a few thousand recent followers. After the "draw," each entrant gets a private message: "You've won! Pay the shipping." Always check: is the account verified? Is the giveaway on the brand's official site? A real winner never pays fees.
Copy the whole message (long-press → copy) and paste it into the free Phishy checker on this page. The tool recognises prize-scam patterns in the text, follows the link to its real destination, and checks it against global scam-site databases. Clear verdict in seconds: safe, suspicious or scam. Free, no signup, and available in 9 languages.
1. "Fee" paid by card: block it immediately (number on the back) and dispute the charge with your bank. 2. Premium service on your phone: contact your mobile carrier to cancel and block premium services. 3. App installed: uninstall it immediately and run a security scan. 4. Personal data shared: be wary in the following weeks, victims are often re-contacted by fake "refund services." 5. Report the text/site to your fraud and cybercrime services.
No. No one wins a lottery without entering. This message is a scam 100% of the time: delete it, or check it in the tool if you're unsure.
Never. A real prize costs nothing to receive. The "fees" exist only to capture your card.
Check that the account is verified and the giveaway is on the official site. Fake accounts copy real giveaways and then charge "fees" to "winners" by private message.
Call your carrier to cancel the subscription and enable premium-service blocking. Dispute charges already made.
Paste it into the Phishy checker on this page: text and link analysis, answer in seconds, no signup.