scam alerts
'Text to Enter' Traps: Sweepstakes That Bill Your Phone
Some 'text to win' shortcodes quietly sign you up for premium charges on your phone bill. Here's how to enter safely. 📲
Tag 
#scams
61 articles tagged scams.
platform guides
Twitter/X Giveaways: How Retweet-to-Win Sweeps Really Work
Retweet, follow, reply — X giveaways are fast and fake-heavy. Here's how to spot the real ones. 🔗
scam alerts
'You've Won!' — How to Verify a Prize Notification Before You Reply
Got a 'you won' message? Don't celebrate yet. Here's a 3-step check to confirm a prize is real before you respond. ✅
beginners
What Personal Info Is Safe to Give a Giveaway (and What Isn't)
Name and email? Fine. SSN or bank login? Never. Here's exactly what info a real giveaway should ever ask for. 🛡️
scam alerts
When a Giveaway Asks for Your SSN: Legit vs. Theft
Sponsors need your SSN only after a big win, for taxes. Scammers ask upfront to steal your identity. Know the difference. 🛡️
scam alerts
Where to Report a Giveaway Scam So It Actually Gets Stopped
Reporting a fake giveaway to the right places protects the next target. Here's who to tell: FTC, IC3, platforms, and more. 📢
news
Where Your Info Goes After You Enter a Giveaway
Entering shares your data with more than one company. Here's the data-broker trail behind 'free' giveaways — and how to limit it. 🕵️
scam alerts
Why a 'Winner' Asked to Pay With Gift Cards Is Always a Scam
If you 'won' but must buy gift cards to release the prize, stop. No real sponsor gets paid in gift cards. 💳
winner stories
Won a $500 Gift Card — Here's How She Kept All $500 of It
A gift-card code is cash with no chargeback. The three moves she made the day she claimed a real $500 prize — before a fee, a thief, or the IRS took a bite. 💳
scam alerts
The 'You Won a Car' Phone Call: How Prize Vishing Works
A friendly live caller says you won a car or cash, then steers you to fees or bank details. Here's how voice phishing runs. ☎️
scam alerts
'You Won!' Texts: How to Spot a Smishing Scam Before You Tap
A surprise 'you won' text with a link is almost never real. Here's how prize smishing works and why you should never tap. 📱
scam alerts
'You're Pre-Selected' Prize Mail: Reading the Fine Print
Official-looking prize letters lean on fine print and fake urgency. Here's how to decode pre-selected prize mail. ✉️
platform guides
YouTube Giveaways: How Creator Sweeps Work and Enter Safely
'Comment and subscribe to win' is everywhere on YouTube. Here's the real format — and the impersonator trap. 🔗