Fraud individuals or groups trick people with fake lottery and prize scams to steal their money or personal or banking details. They’ll tell you that you’ve won a prize, but you probably never even signed up for any lottery or contest. This is simply because it’s a scam. These scammers offer people great rewards that are meant to trick them for money or information. This is why it’s wise to be careful when you get calls and messages like these. Educating yourself and your family (especially the senior members) about how Lottery and Prize scams work is extremely important and is a part of digital literacy, awareness, and safety.
Let’s look at the many ways in which we can protect ourselves from Lottery and Prize scams. Read on to know more!
What is a Lottery & Price Scam?
A Lottery or Prize scam is a type of scam in which fraudsters trick people into believing that they’ve won a big prize, such as money or valuable items (car, mobile phone, etc.). These scammers use calls, emails, or texts to tell victims that they’ve won a lottery or a prize.
To get the prize, the victims are often told to give personal information, like bank details, or pay fees or taxes upfront. Sometimes, victims are also instructed to click on fake links to claim their rewards. In doing so, all of their banking information is fraudulently obtained and then used by scammers to withdraw funds from the victims’ accounts. In other situations, after getting information or money, scammers either disappear without giving the prize or keep asking for more money with lies. Simply put, prize and lottery frauds in India use people’s hope for rewards to take advantage of them.
How to Protect Yourself from Lottery and Prize Scams
In any circumstance, you must remember that if something is too good to be true, it probably is. Let’s first have a look at how we can identify a lottery and prize scam and then how we can protect ourselves from falling for them:
How to Spot a Lottery Scam?
- First Contact: Scammers will contact you by email, phone, or text, claiming you’ve won a lottery or sweepstakes prize. They might use official-sounding names or logos to seem real.
- Obtaining Your Prize: Then you will be asked for your personal details, and sometimes your banking information for you to claim the price.
- Asking for Money: The scammer will say that you first need to pay some taxes, or fees before they can give you the prize. Here, they will try to rush you or put you in a state of confusion, saying you have to act fast.
- Making Payment: If you fall for the scammer’s wicked tricks, you might send them money, gift cards, or give them your card details.
- Disappearing: After the scammer gets your money or bank details, the scammer disappears. You won’t get the prize they promised. By the time you realise it’s a scam, it’s often too late to get your money back.
How to Protect Yourself from Lottery and Prize Scams?
Here are some ways in which you can protect yourself from such frauds:
- Check if It’s Real
Don’t trust messages saying you’ve won a lottery or a prize you didn’t enter. Contact the official lottery or sweepstakes directly to verify. Don’t use the contact information from the message. Instead, you can find the official website or contact us. You’ll be able to do so easily through the official websites on the internet.
- Don’t Pay First
Legitimate winnings from lotteries never ask for money upfront. Don’t send money or personal details to get a prize.
- Keep Your Personal Information Safe
You should be careful about sharing your personal or banking details like , UPI PIN, UPI ID, Adhaar and PAN card details with people you don’t know. Scammers can steal your identity or scam you more.
- Listen to Your Gut Feelings
As mentioned earlier, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. You should trust your instincts and be careful with unexpected prizes.
- Educate Yourself About Scams
It is very important to keep yourself, your family, and your friends updated on common scams and how scammers trick people. Knowing about scams will help you protect yourself and your loved ones.
- Report Scams
If you or anyone you know receives a text or call that seems to be a lottery or prize scam, report it to authorities. File a complaint at your nearest police station explaining the complete incident details along with the required documents.
Conclusion
Scams and frauds are on the rise in India in recent years. However, it’s important to protect ourselves from falling victim to these traps. These scams have increased because of fast-growing technology and people’s desire to make quick money. By using the above-mentioned tips, you can be cautious about fraud and improve your digital skills to stay safe and protect your hard-earned money.
