What are the red flags?

A caller says you won a sweepstakes run by a charity you support; You're told to pay a fee, tax or other charge, or buy something, to claim your prize; You're asked for personal information like your Social Security number to collect a prize; Caller ID shows a real organization's name or number (the FTC says this can be faked).

What should I do if I clicked, paid, or replied?

Never pay to get a prize. The FTC says real prizes are free and legitimate sweepstakes are free and by chance; Research the charity yourself, and search the contest or company name with words like "complaint," "review" or "scam"; Scroll past paid search ads when you look up a charity or contest, since the FTC says imposters sometimes advertise there; Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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Fake charity sweepstakes: "You won because you donated"

Q: What does the Fake charity sweepstakes: "You won because you donated" scam look like?

If you're told to pay or give personal information to claim a charity sweepstakes prize, the FTC says you're dealing with a scam: real prizes are free. According to the FTC, scammers impersonate reputable charities and tell people they won a charity-sponsored sweepstakes because they donated to that charity. The FTC says they may use a real charity's name or one that sounds like it when they contact you or place ads on social media or elsewhere, can fake caller ID to show a real agency or company name or number, and sometimes advertise on search platforms like Google Search and Bing to lead people to false information. The giveaway, the FTC says, is being told to pay to claim your prize or to hand over personal information like your Social Security number.

Last updated Oct 30, 2026

Also known as: Charity sweepstakes prize call, You won a charity raffle scam, Pay a fee to claim your prize from a charity, Charity impersonator prize scam

The Scam

According to the FTC, scammers impersonate reputable charities and tell people they won a charity-sponsored sweepstakes because they donated to that charity. The FTC says they may use a real charity's name or one that sounds like it when they contact you or place ads on social media or elsewhere, can fake caller ID to show a real agency or company name or number, and sometimes advertise on search platforms like Google Search and Bing to lead people to false information. The giveaway, the FTC says, is being told to pay to claim your prize or to hand over personal information like your Social Security number.

The Targets

People who donate to charities, according to the FTC's Oct. 26, 2026 consumer alert.

Red flags

A caller says you won a sweepstakes run by a charity you support
You're told to pay a fee, tax or other charge, or buy something, to claim your prize
You're asked for personal information like your Social Security number to collect a prize
Caller ID shows a real organization's name or number (the FTC says this can be faked)

Your Move

Never pay to get a prize. The FTC says real prizes are free and legitimate sweepstakes are free and by chance
Research the charity yourself, and search the contest or company name with words like "complaint," "review" or "scam"
Scroll past paid search ads when you look up a charity or contest, since the FTC says imposters sometimes advertise there
Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov

More steps for any scam link: I clicked a scam link. What now?

Still circulating?

The FTC published this consumer alert on Oct. 26, 2026.

Primary source: FTC consumer alert · 2026-10-26

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Educational summary only. Verify details on the source page. Report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or ic3.gov.