The Lottery or Sweepstakes Scam

Everyone wants to win money. And sometimes people do.  But that’s what makes this type of scam so dangerously effective.
It usually begins with a phone call or a notice, by mail or email, telling you that you’ve won something. An indication that this may be a scam is when you are asked to send money to cover something like taxes or processing fees in order to claim your “valuable prize.”
Be especially cautious if you do not remember entering any contests.  A legitimate sweepstakes or lottery win almost never requires you to send money to get money. That should stand as a serious “red flag.” If someone asks you to do this, more than likely you did not win anything.
As the old saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Perpetrators of this fraud are banking on the possibility that you are so excited about winning, you ignore the randomness of this good fortune and abandon logic to secure the prize.
Think before you send money to anyone.  Be skeptical, it could save you from getting fooled.

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