If you believe a promotion or coupon for a lottery game is fraudulent, you should stop engaging with it immediately and report it to the appropriate authorities and the official lottery organizer.

First steps: protect yourself

  • Do not click any links, scan QR codes, or call numbers listed on the promotion.
  • Do not pay any “fees,” “taxes,” or “processing charges” to claim a prize; real lotteries do not make winners pay to get winnings.
  • Do not share personal information like your ID numbers, banking details, or passwords.
  • Take screenshots or photos of the coupon/promotion (texts, emails, social media posts, physical mail) so you have evidence.

If something says you “must act now” or you’ll lose your prize, treat that as a red flag, not a reason to rush.

Verify with the real lottery

  • Go to the official website of the lottery (for example, your state or national lottery commission) by typing the address yourself into the browser, not by using links in the promotion.
  • Look for an official promotions or “current offers” page and see if the promotion you received is listed there.
  • If you’re still unsure, contact the lottery’s official customer service line or email listed on the official site and ask them to confirm whether the promotion/coupon is real.

A quick example: if you get a “coupon” claiming a special jackpot boost for tonight’s draw only if you click a link, but nothing like that appears on the official lottery site, you should assume it’s fake and treat it as a scam attempt.

Who to report it to

Depending on where you live, you will usually have several places to report suspected fraudulent lottery promotions:

  • A national consumer protection body (for example, in the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission via ReportFraud.ftc.gov, for prize and lottery scams).
  • Your state or regional attorney general or local consumer protection office, which often handles lottery and sweepstakes complaints.
  • Postal authorities, if the offer came in physical mail (for example, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for mailed prize promotions).
  • A national fraud reporting center (for example, in the U.K., Action Fraud for suspected lottery scams).
  • The official lottery regulator or gambling commission if you think the lottery itself is illegal or operating without a licence.

When you report, include:

  • Copies or screenshots of the promotion/coupon.
  • Dates, times, phone numbers, URLs, email addresses, and social media accounts involved.
  • Any money you sent or information you shared, so they can guide you on next steps.

If you already responded or paid

If you’ve already engaged with what you now think is a fraudulent lottery promotion:

  • Contact your bank or card issuer right away to report possible fraud and ask if payments can be stopped or reversed.
  • If you shared personal information, follow identity-theft guidance from your country’s consumer protection agency (for example, IdentityTheft.gov in the U.S.).
  • Change passwords on any accounts that might be affected and enable two-factor authentication where possible.
  • Watch your accounts and credit reports for unusual activity and report suspicious entries immediately.

Simple rule of thumb

If you believe a promotion/coupon for a lottery game is fraudulent, the best response is:

  • Stop all contact.
  • Do not pay or share information.
  • Verify only through official lottery and government channels.
  • Report it so others don’t get caught.

“Real lotteries don’t ask you to pay to get your prize, and they don’t pressure you to act immediately.”

TL;DR: If you believe a promotion/coupon for a lottery game is fraudulent, ignore it, don’t send money or information, verify with the official lottery, and report it to consumer protection and fraud authorities.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.