Sweepstakes Scams and Safety - How to Avoid Contest Scams and Sweepstakes Frauds
By Sandra Grauschopf, About.com Guide to Contests & Sweepstakes
While most contests and sweepstakes offer entrants a real chance of winning great prizes, there are also some con men that prey on the hopes of winning. It's important to recognize the signs of sweepstakes fraud in order to protect yourself from falling victim to a scam.
- Recognize Sweepstakes Scams
- What are the Risks of Sweepstakes Fraud?
- Protect Your Privacy While Entering Sweepstakes
- How to Tell if a Sweepstake is Real or a Fraud?
- Report Sweepstakes Scams to the Authorities
- Examples of Sweepstakes Scams
Recognize Sweepstakes Scams
Sweepstakes scams convince people that they are winners when they are really not. The catch - you have to pay money or give up sensitive personal information before you can claim your win. Here are some tips on recognizing fraudulent sweepstakes win notifications.
What are the Risks of Sweepstakes Fraud?
Find out what can happen if you become a victim of sweepstakes fraud. Understanding the goals of sweepstakes scams can help you to recognize and avoid them before you become a victim.
- Sweepstakes and Identity Theft
- Understanding Sweepstakes Scams & Tactics
- Consequences of Falling for Sweepstakes Check Scams
Protect Your Privacy While Entering Sweepstakes
If you are careful with the personal information you use to enter sweepstakes, you can prevent scammers from reaching you easily and recognize sweepstakes scams instantly. Furthermore, you can reduce the amount of unwanted marketing that you receive from entering sweepstakes. Here are some tips on how to protect your personal information.
- Why Use a Separate Sweepstakes Email Address to Enter Contests
- How to Reduce Spam Email from Entering Sweepstakes
- Get Less Junk Mail from Sweepstakes Entries
- Alternatives to Using Your Home Phone Number for Sweepstakes
How to Tell if a Sweepstake is Real or a Fraud?
Some criminals use fake sweepstakes to trick you into giving up your personal information. Here are some ways to tell whether a sweepstake is real or a fraud so that you can avoid scam web sites.
- How to Determine Whether a Sweepstake is Legitimate
- Sweepstakes Entry Forms - How Much Information is Reasonable?
Report Sweepstakes Scams to the Authorities
It is very difficult for law enforcement agencies to pinpoint sweepstakes scammers and prevent them from targeting other victims. By reporting scams to the proper authorities, you can provide them with vital information that might stop someone else from losing their life savings.
Examples of Sweepstakes Scams
Sometimes, the best way to learn to recognize sweepstakes scams is to see exactly how they work. Here are some examples of real sweepstakes scams.
