ScamBoard guide · 9 October 2026

Fake giveaway scams: prize fees and impersonator messages

A giveaway announcement and a message claiming you won are two different things. A scam report is most useful when it shows how the supposed winner was contacted and what they were asked to do next.

“I won, but they want me to pay first”

The FTC warns about prize messages demanding payment to release winnings. Save the message and check the announcement through the organizer’s established profile. Do not rely on a link or a support account supplied by the person contacting you.

Compare the account, not just the artwork

Copied logos and prize photos can make an unrelated account appear official. Record the exact username, the date of the message and whether you had entered the giveaway. Describe any wallet connection, payment or personal information request.

Make your report useful to the next entrant

Explain which announcement you saw, how the impersonator approached you and where the interaction changed. Keep passwords, recovery phrases and identity documents out of the report. You can share the experience even if you spotted the problem before losing money.

Do I need to lose money before sharing a giveaway scam experience?

No. The optional loss field can be left empty. Explain what you observed and make clear whether a loss occurred instead of presenting an avoided attempt as a completed theft.

Community experiences

No matching public experiences yet. You can share what happened to you without a public account.

Your experience could help someone else

Explain what happened, how you were contacted and what the other person asked you to do. No public account or name is required.

Share your scam experience