• The notice comes by regular mail, phone, fax, or email. If you had won a cash prize or inherited money, you would be notified by certified mail.
• They send you a check or money order as an "advance" and ask you to send money to get the rest. But that's not how legitimate contest promoters or law firms operate. If you suddenly come into money, you will pay taxes directly to the government, not to them.
• To gain your trust, they use the name of a well-known sweepstakes company. Get the company's number from directory assistance and call directly to verify.
• They say you won a foreign lottery or sweepstakes, but that's impossible unless you traveled to that country to enter. It is illegal to buy or sell tickets across the U.S. border.
• They say you’ve been selected for a cash grant. But real grant givers don’t contact individuals unexpectedly offering them free money.