What is a sweepstakes scam?

The initial contact in a sweepstakes scam may be a call, email, social media notification or even snail mail offering congratulations for winning a big contest. But there’s a catch: You’ll be asked to pay a fee, taxes or customs duties to claim your prize. Asking for fees and taxes. One criminal stole $50 million from victims by asking for ‘"fees.

Are social media giveaways a scam?

The same advice applies to giveaways on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. Here’s why: One in four people who reported losing money to fraud since 2021 said it started on social media. Scammers make it hard to tell what’s real and what’s fake. Want to avoid scams on your feed? Slow your scroll and keep reading to find out how.

What are Instagram giveaway scams?

These scams are designed specifically to steal your information and convince you that you've won a prize or contest. Lottery and giveaway scams often include: In some Instagram giveaway scams, scammers will hijack a real account or impersonate someone that is running a legitimate giveaway.