Lottery, lucky draw and prize scams

You cannot win a draw you never entered, and no genuine prize asks the winner to pay first.

The versions

The lottery or quiz show. A WhatsApp message or call, often from a number with a foreign country code, says your mobile number has won 25 lakh rupees in a lucky draw run by a television quiz show, a phone company or a foreign lottery. A "manager" will release it after you pay tax or a processing fee.
The scratch card or coupon. A letter or card arrives by post after an online purchase, saying you have won a car or cash. A number is given to claim it.
The gift from abroad. An online friend, often claiming to be a doctor, soldier or engineer overseas, sends you jewellery and currency by courier. A "customs officer" then calls: the parcel is held, pay duty to release it.
The inheritance or fund transfer. An email offers a share of a dead millionaire's money or a compensation fund.
The online shop reward. "Congratulations, your order has won" from a message that copies a shopping site's look.

All are advance-fee fraud. After the first payment come others: income tax, currency conversion, an anti-money-laundering certificate, a bank charge. The prize never arrives.

The simple test

Did I enter this draw? If not, it is a fraud.
Am I being asked to pay to receive money? If so, it is a fraud.

Nothing else needs checking. Certificates with government emblems, photographs of cheques, videos of "winners" and letters on bank letterheads are props.

Other signs

Calls and messages from numbers starting with country codes you have no link to.
A personal bank account or UPI ID to pay the "tax" into. Tax on winnings in India is deducted by the payer from the prize; it is not collected in advance into a private account.
Secrecy: "do not tell anyone until the amount is credited".
A request for your bank details, identity documents and photograph, which are then used for other frauds.
The offer came by WhatsApp, text, email or post, addressed to no one in particular.

What to do

Do not reply, call back or send documents.
Report the number or message on Chakshu at the Sanchar Saathi portal and block it.
If you gave identity documents, watch your accounts and see after a data leak.
If you paid, stop paying, keep the evidence and follow "If money has already gone" below. Do not pay anyone who promises to recover it for a fee.

Protecting elders at home

These calls target older people who are at home during the day and trust a polite voice. Agree on one family rule: no payment to any caller, for any reason, before talking to a family member. Write the rule and the family's phone numbers near the telephone.

The caller sent a photo of a cheque in my name. Is it real?

No. Pictures and certificates are easily made. A real prize is paid to you, with tax deducted, without any payment from you.

A friend abroad says he sent a gift and customs wants duty. What should I do?

Stop. Customs does not phone individuals to collect duty into personal accounts. A person you have never met who sends expensive gifts is a fraudster's character.

If money has already gone

Dial 1930 at once. It is the national helpline for victims of financial cyber fraud. Give the transaction details; the earlier the report, the better the chance that the money can be held before it is moved on.
Call your bank or card company on its official number and block the card, UPI or account. Report the transaction as unauthorised and note the complaint number.
File the complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cybercrime.gov.in, and keep the acknowledgement number.
Keep everything: screenshots, numbers, UPI IDs, account numbers, transaction references, links, the app's name. Do not delete chats.

The full checklist, with what to keep ready, is on what to do after a fraud. Helpline and portal checked on 12 November 2026.

Independent guide. This is not a government, bank or police website. Helplines and rules were checked at official sources on 12 November 2026; confirm on the official site before relying on them.