Beware of scammers posing as lottery winners on social media

Scammers often impersonate real lottery winners on social media, promising to share their fortune with strangers. The catch comes when you’re asked to pay a fee, buy gift cards, send cryptocurrency, or provide personal information before receiving the supposed prize. Real lottery winners do not randomly contact people online to give away money, and legitimate prizes never require an upfront payment.

Key takeaways

• Be suspicious of social media accounts claiming to be lottery winners giving away large sums of money.
• Never pay a fee, buy gift cards, or send cryptocurrency to receive a supposed prize.
• Verify suspicious profiles independently, especially if they use the name or photos of a real lottery winner.
• Bitdefender Scamio can help you check suspicious social media messages, profiles, and prize offers before you respond.

Scams run amok on social media. from malicious ads to fraudulent marketplace listings and everything in between.

That’s why we are dedicated to spreading awareness and proactive measures. We aim to ensure that you and your loved ones don’t become the next victim.

There’s no such thing as free money, no matter what others say, and the FTC’s most recent consumer alert reminds internet users about a very common ruse proliferating on social platforms. Specifically, fraudsters impersonate lottery winners who want to share their good fortune with you.

How the scam works

Scammers may target unsuspecting victims via fraudulent posts that appear on your social media feed or contact them via instant messages that sound too good to be true.

One example of such fraudulent posts can be seen below:

“I’m the winner of $600 million from the Powerball lottery. I’m giving away $50,000 to the first one thousand people to message me.”

Users who are fooled by their stories and reply to such posts or messages will be asked for a phone number. The scammer then send a text message informing you that you’ve won a large sum of money but need to ask quickly.

“Then they’ll tell you to put hundreds of dollars on gift cards, take pictures of the cards, and text the numbers from the back of the card to cover “processing and delivery fees,” the FTC explained.

How to stay safe

• Never engage with such content you see online or any unsolicited message
• Don’t comment on such posts, even if you know it’s a scam. Fraudsters might find other ways to trick you, or your social media feed may become bombarded with similar content.
• Never pay to receive money or prizes. Individuals who ask you to pay for shipping/handling/processing fees want to scam you
• Spread the word to your friends and family to help them stay safe
• Report suspicious activity to the social platform and law enforcement

Use Bitdefender Scamio, our AI-powered tool dedicated to helping you identify and avoid potential scams. When unsure about an email, you can check it with Scamio on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or a web browser for free! Copy/ paste a text or link, describe the situation, and upload the image or the QR code you want to verify. Scamio will analyze the data and tell you if anyone is trying to scam you. You can also help others stay safe by sharing Scamio with them in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Australia and the UK.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I identify a scammer on social media?

Look for unsolicited messages, urgent requests, promises of free money, suspicious links, and requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency, or personal information. Fake profiles may also copy photos and names from real people.

Can you expose a scammer on social media?

You can report the account and warn others, but avoid publishing unverified personal information or trying to identify the scammer yourself. Save screenshots and other evidence, then report serious fraud to the platform and relevant authorities.