Prize Scam

This type of scam involves someone claiming you have won a prize. The catch is that you need to pay a small fee to claim your prize. The scammer then breaks contact with you after your payment, and you never receive a prize.

Why be aware of this attack?

People are typically overjoyed at the thought of winning, so it can be easy to fall prey to these scams.Having the knowledge of these types of scams can help deter them from occurring to you in the future.

What is the scammers goal?

Money. Scammers want to utilize your emotions to steal your funds.

Red flags:

These scams can take on many forms. Scammers can say that you have won a lottery, a new tablet, vehicles, etc, but the common factor they all share is that they will ask for you to pay a small fee in order to claim your prize.

Immediate actions:

• Stop all contact with the scammer.

• If you have already sent a wire transfer, contact the issuer to see about stopping the transaction.

• If you have already provided your financial information, contact your financial institution to see about stopping transactions or canceling accounts.