You received an email or a letter that you have won a large sum on an overseas or online lottery. If you respond to the fraudster, you’ll immediately be asked to supply personal information and copies of official documents as proof of identity. The fraudsters can then use this information to steal your identity. Once you have provided your personal information, the fraudsters will ask you to pay various fees – for example: taxes, legal fees, banking fees etc. – so that they can release your non-existent winnings. Each time you make a payment, the fraudsters will come up with a reason why your winnings can’t be paid out unless you make another payment. They’ll also give you reasons why the fees can’t be taken out of your winnings and have to be paid upfront. The fraudsters may also ask for your bank details, saying they will pay your winnings directly into your bank account. But if you hand over your bank details, the fraudsters will use them to empty your account. Remember that genuine lotteries thrive on publicity. If they ask you to keep your win a secret it’s likely to be a fraud. Typically, many fraudulent lotteries have bad spelling and grammar – see this as a warning that fraudsters are at work.