Sweepstakes and Contest
Hints and Tips Articles

Be aware of scams

Be aware of contest scams

Contest and sweepstakes hints and tips #8.

Article September 2003 © Copyright Lots of Luck Advertising

Be wary of unsolicited email, that may inform you that 'You are a Winner', or 'Congratulations'. These unsolicited emails usually are very sparse on details up front, and their goal is to prompt you to click on various links contained in the email. Of course, these links are there to try to get you to buy something, to sign up for something, to send money, or to provide additional personal information, all on the pretense that you actually won something. Don't delete or ignore all of these emails as some may end up being from a sponsor of a contest that you entered, however just be wary, and be careful.

Visit www.lots-of-luck.com for more contest and sweepstakes hints and tips, as well as access to lots of contest and sweepstakes entries.

Those who enter contests and sweepstakes, are a hopeful lot. Unfortunately, there are lots of people and organizations out there that would be more than happy to use that hopefulness to their advantage.

Some points to consider when trying to determine the validity of these emails (also applies to letters and phone calls):

Does the email contain the name of the contest or sweepstakes?
Does the email contain the names of the sponsor or the company conducting the contest or sweepstakes on behalf of the sponsor?
Does the email sender's address sound like it isn't from a company putting on a contest or sweepstakes? For example, emails from free email services similar to @yahoo.com, @hotmail.com, and @excite.com. These free email services themselves are great, it's just that a few people (a few out of vast numbers) that use these free services may not be all that reputable when it comes to trying to get your money. Most companies that sponsor or conduct a contest, have their own email address that reflects their organization, and so they do not rely on free email services for their email addressing.
Is the contest or sweepstakes one that you have entered? Here's where keeping a journal that was mentioned in a different Hints and Tips would come in handy.

It's not to say that all emails and notifications that conflict with one or more of the above points are to be totally avoided... just use caution, and common sense.

These hints and tips articles are listed as guidelines only. Each country/state/province may have specific laws or regulations, or other restrictions pertaining to contests and sweepstakes. These hints and tips are listed as information to help you to develop your own strategy in entering contests and sweepstakes. Click on a hints and tips article from the list below, and you will be taken to a more detailed page:

Lots of Luck Contest and Sweepstakes Hints and Tips

Sweepstakes and Contest Custom Search:

After you enter the various contests and sweepstakes from our site, if you still want to find more online contests, then go ahead and use the custom search box below to help you search the web for more contests and sweepstakes to enter.

Enter the prize you want to win in the search box below, click on "Search", and then check out the various sweepstakes and contests that are displayed. Enter all that are of interest to you. For more meaningful results, enter the 4 digit year as well to avoid spending time looking into outdated contests and sweepstakes.

Examples: