Ah, the sweet sound of a ringing phone promising you untold riches or a shiny new car. It’s like being on a game show, but without the studio lights and audience applause. Unfortunately, in the real world, these calls are more likely to be scams rather than your lucky day. If someone calls claiming you’ve won a prize, here’s why you should hang up faster than you can say, “I’d like to buy a vowel.”

The Call of the Wild Scam

Here’s how it usually goes down: a call from an unknown number, a voice brimming with excitement, and the news that you’ve won an amazing prize. It could be anything from a vacation package to a new laptop or even a gazillion dollars. The caller might throw in a name like Publishers Clearing House to sound legit. Spoiler alert: they’re not legit. Once they’ve got your hopes up, they hit you with the catch. Before you can claim your glittering prize, you need to pay a little something—maybe “taxes,” “shipping and handling charges,” or “processing fees.”

Pro tip: If you have to pay money to get money, you’re not winning. You’re losing.

How to Sidestep the Scam

  1. Slow Your Roll: Scammers love to create a sense of urgency. They’ll tell you it’s a limited-time offer to push you into action before you have time to think. If they’re rushing you, it’s a scammer’s game plan, not your lucky day.

  2. Real Prizes are Free: Let me say it louder for the folks in the back—real prizes don’t come with a price tag. If someone asks you to pay for “taxes,” “shipping,” or any other bogus fee, they’re trying to take you for a ride.

  3. Investigate Like a Detective: Before getting excited about your supposed windfall, do some sleuthing. Search online for the contest or company name along with terms like “complaint,” “review,” or “scam.” If it’s a scam, you won’t be the first one to notice.

Taking Action

For more savvy tips on avoiding scams, head over to Consumer.gov/scams. And if you ever spot a scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The more we know, the more we can protect each other from these modern-day pirates!

For the original article and more consumer protection goodness, visit Consumer.gov.

Original article: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/03/random-call-saying-youve-won-prize-scam