Lottery / Sweepstakes Scam

A notification claiming the victim won a prize they never entered; releasing the prize requires paying a 'tax' or 'processing fee' upfront.

Learn more on GACS

Source: GACS — Global Anti-Crime & Safety · Published by the GACS Research Team · Updated October 21, 2026

Cite this page: GACS (2026). Lottery / Sweepstakes Scam — GACS Glossary. https://gacs.app/glossary/lottery-sweepstakes-scam · Record ID GACS-glossary-lottery-sweepstakes-scam

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Related GACS research

Independent primary sources used to check and corroborate the guidance on this page.

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Official US channel for reporting internet-enabled fraud and cybercrime.
US Federal Trade Commission — ReportFraud
Consumer fraud reporting and published enforcement data.
UK Report Fraud
UK national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Canada's central repository for fraud reports and scam alerts.