Common lottery scams in Canada and how to spot them

Written by NextGen, British Columbia · Last updated October 2026

Big jackpots make headlines, and headlines attract fraudsters. Almost every lottery scam relies on one of two ideas: that you won something you did not enter, or that you have to pay before you can collect. Once you know the patterns, they are easy to spot. This guide draws on warnings from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the Competition Bureau, the RCMP and WCLC.

The golden rules

1. The "you've won" message (advance-fee fraud)

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre describes the classic pattern: fraudsters contact you by email, text, mail, phone, social media or website pop-up to say you have won a prize or lottery. If you respond, they say you must first pay a fee or buy something. Payment is often requested by money transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram, or with prepaid gift cards. No winnings are ever received — and people who pay once are usually asked to pay again.

Variations include a "foreign lottery" win (you are told you won a lottery abroad, though you never travelled there to buy a ticket) and calls targeting seniors from people claiming to represent well-known sweepstakes companies, saying a car or cash prize is waiting once a small fee is paid.

2. "Pay the tax first"

A favourite twist is to ask for tax on the prize before it can be released. In Canada this is an instant giveaway: WCLC states that lottery prizes in Canada are not taxable, and that no taxes or fees of any kind have to be paid to Canadian authorities on legitimate lottery winnings. The RCMP in BC lists duty, taxes, insurance, lawyers, delivery and "terrorist clearance certificates" as fees no real lottery operating in Canada requires. Our guide are lottery winnings taxed in Canada? explains the actual rules.

3. The cheque to "cover the fees"

Some scammers mail a cheque that looks like it comes from a third party, telling you to deposit it and send part of the money back to pay fees. WCLC warns that such cheques are likely forgeries that will bounce. When it does, you are responsible for the money you withdrew. Do not deposit a cheque from someone you do not know, and never send money back.

4. Premium-rate phone numbers

The Competition Bureau warns of "winner" notices that ask you to call or text a premium-rate number (such as a 900 number) to claim the prize. The call itself is the scam: you are billed expensive per-minute charges while being kept on the line or passed from number to number.

5. Fake winners and impersonators on social media

Fraudsters set up accounts using the names of real lottery corporations or recent winners and promise to "share" winnings or give away money to followers who pay a small processing fee or send banking details. Real lottery corporations do not hand out prizes through social media messages, and real winners do not need your banking information. If an account messages you first, treat it as a scam.

6. "Send me a photo of your ticket"

After a draw, someone may offer to "check" your ticket if you send a picture, or claim to be from the lottery and ask for the barcode. Do not do it. WCLC tells players to protect their barcode, and notes that for tickets bought in its app, whoever presents the barcode is treated as the purchaser. Check tickets yourself with the official app or a retailer's ticket checker — see our guide to checking and claiming a prize.

7. The "recovery" call

People who have already lost money are often targeted a second time. The RCMP describes callers claiming to be from the Attorney General's office, Interpol, Scotland Yard, Canada Customs or even the RCMP, saying they can catch the scammers and return your money if you send more money first. Real police never ask you to put up your own money to help an investigation.

8. Prediction software and "guaranteed numbers"

Not every lottery scam pretends you won. Some sell software, subscriptions or "systems" that claim to predict winning numbers or improve your odds. They cannot work: every draw is random and independent, and WCLC states plainly that it is impossible to predict which combination will be drawn. Paying for a prediction is paying for nothing. See why hot and cold numbers do not predict the next draw.

How to check whether a contact is real

• Look up the organisation's contact details yourself on its official website. The RCMP advises not to call the number given by the caller or printed on the letter.
• If you play online through PlayNow.com, PlayAlberta.ca or by subscription, you may legitimately be contacted about a win. If in doubt, contact the operator using the details on its official site.
• Be suspicious of urgency ("claim within 24 hours"), secrecy ("don't tell your bank") and unusual payment methods (gift cards, money transfers, cryptocurrency).

Where to report a lottery scam

• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: 1-888-495-8501 (from outside North America: 705-495-8501), or online at antifraudcentre.ca.
• Your local police or RCMP detachment, especially if you have lost money.
• Your bank, immediately, if you shared card or account details or sent a payment.
• If the scam used a lottery corporation's name, tell that corporation as well.

If the message is simply a "you won" email or call and you have not engaged, WCLC's advice is straightforward: throw the letter away, delete the email or hang up.