How to spot a scam competition

Most online competitions are run by legitimate operators. But scams exist, and they tend to follow recognisable patterns. A flashy prize photo and a sense of urgency are easy to fake. This guide walks through the red flags that should stop you entering, the signs of a legitimate draw, and what to do if you think you have been caught out.

The most common scam types

The Facebook raffle. Someone posts a car or cash prize, collects payments through PayPal friends and family or bank transfer, and either never runs the draw or picks a fake winner. There is no platform, no terms, and no recourse when the page disappears.

The fake winner notification. You receive an email or DM saying you have won a competition you never entered. They ask for personal details, a fee to release the prize, or your bank details for a transfer. Legitimate operators never ask you to pay to claim a prize you have won.

The cloned site. A fake website copies a real competition site's branding. The URL is slightly different. You pay for tickets that do not exist. Always check the URL carefully and bookmark sites you trust.

The endless upsell. You buy tickets and are immediately pressured to buy more, enter add-on draws, or pay for instant wins. Not always a scam, but a sign the operator cares more about revenue than fair play.

Red flags before you enter

No visible ticket count. If you cannot see how many tickets are in the draw, you cannot judge your odds or the prize pool. Legitimate platforms show this number. On luckladder, you can see the ticket count on every competition page.

No terms and conditions. A real competition has published terms: draw date, entry methods, prize details, claim deadline, and free entry route for paid draws.

Payment outside a platform. Bank transfers to a personal account, PayPal friends and family, crypto, or cash payments are all high risk. Use platforms with proper checkout and a record of your purchase.

Too good to be true pricing. A £80,000 car for £1 tickets with only 5,000 entries means the organiser would lose money. The maths has to work for them too. If it does not add up, something is wrong.

No evidence of previous winners. Legitimate sites announce winners. If an account has run multiple competitions but never shown a winner, ask why.

What a legitimate competition looks like

Ticket count and price visible on the page. Published terms and conditions. A free postal entry route in the terms. Draw runs automatically on a fixed date or when tickets sell out. A documented prize claim process. Winner announcements.

On luckladder, hosts list real prizes, tickets are sold through the platform, the draw runs automatically when it closes, and both sides confirm the handover before any payout. You can see the ticket count on every competition page and track your entries on your account.

How to verify a competition quickly

Before you spend anything, spend two minutes checking: Is the URL correct? Are there terms? Can you see the ticket count? Is payment through the platform? Has this organiser announced winners before? Are there reviews or community discussion about them? If you cannot answer yes to most of those, do not enter.

If you think you have been scammed

Report it to Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk). Contact your bank immediately if you paid by card or bank transfer; they may be able to help with a chargeback. Keep screenshots of everything: the post, messages, payment confirmations, and the page before it disappeared. Report the social media account on the platform itself.

You are unlikely to get the money back from a scammer, but reporting helps authorities track patterns and shut operators down.

For what a fair draw looks like, read how competition winners are chosen or browse live competitions on luckladder.