Fake charity sweepstakes calls tell 'winners' to pay for their prize, FTC warns

Scammers use the names of real or real-sounding charities to say you won a prize, then ask for a fee or your Social Security number.

In this brief: 3 sections 1 min read

- Caller says you won a charity-sponsored sweepstakes, often 'because you donated'
- Some pose as a charity you already support
- Others find you through social posts or paid search ads that look official
- Caller ID can be faked to show a real organization's name or number
- Real prizes are free
- Any fee, tax or shipping charge to collect is a scam
- A request for your Social Security number is a scam
- Legitimate sweepstakes are based on chance; requiring a purchase is illegal
- Never pay to receive a prize, because paying usually brings more scam calls and mail. Search the charity or contest name with words like complaint, review or scam, look past the first results and skip paid ads. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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