Can Automatic Sweepstakes Services Help You Win More Prizes? That’s why Wowstakes, along with other legitimates sites, offer payment as a check in the mail to your postal address, a PayPal payment – which only requires the email address you have linked to your account, or an Amazon Gift Card – which we send as an electronic gift card code our winners can load into their Amazon account and begin using right away. And when that happens your dream sweepstakes win can quickly become a sweepstakes scam nightmare. While Wowstakes itself is new, again, we are industry veterans and as soon as our contests begin to close, you will in fact see winners posted on the site. They steal color schemes, styles, and logos to try to appear as if their target sponsor approved them. The main site to check is the Better Business Bureau. Third party product brands, names, logos and trademarks shown on this site are the property of their respective owners. Misleading sweepstakes offers will often bury onerous terms in the fine print. Sweepstakes are never pay-to-play. Prize promoters might sell your information to advertisers. The sender is asking for sensitive or private data such as your password or account number. PCH follows some strict guidelines with their win notifications to make it harder for scammers. However, there are scams out there. A good privacy policy tells you how the sponsor is going to use the information that they collect from you. Does the Website Have a Privacy Policy? Sweepstakes Hosts (U.S.) such as: Better Homes & Gardens New York Daily News Travel Channel. Step 3: Check the Reputation. The next thing is there should never be any fee associated with collecting your prize if you win. To find out if a website is legitimate, Google the website’s name and review the results. They should also have the contest rules clearly outlined on their site as well as a privacy policy so you can find out how your information is stored and used. How to Tell the Difference Between a Legitimate Prize and a Scam Check for the Warning Signs of Sweepstakes Scams. While we appreciate when users engage with our advertisers, no user is ever under any obligation to click on ads, purchase anything or accept any offers from our advertisers in order to be eligible. If you cannot find any sign of a company behind a sweepstake, this is a sign that the giveaway is a scam attempt. You can also search for the sweepstakes' name to see if any company is sending out press releases or advertising it in the news. Nervous about Using Your Real Birth Date to Enter Sweepstakes? Our primary goal is to ensure that all of the funds raised on our platform are used only as stated in the fundraiser story. Not all sponsors advertise their giveaways on their main web pages, but many do. The email comes from a company you can search on the Internet (the sponsor, an ad agency, etc.) Another great way to tell whether a website is legitimate or not is to read reviews from multiple sources. Safe, professional, legitimate sites don't have crazy pop-up ads and out-of-control redirects. If you have checked the steps above and you're still not sure if your win notice is legitimate, you can contact PCH directly to ask them to verify your prize. When looking at a sweepstakes site to determine if it’s legitimate, there are certain things to keep in mind. Sweepstakes “winners” are given checks and told to send money to cover taxes, shipping and handling charges, or processing fees. Another sign of a legitimate sites is their winner’s list. Some people worry that Reader's Digest sweepstakes are scams because they don't know any winners. That’s just one of the scams that are quite common in the sweepstakes world. Is There a Clear Set of Sweepstakes Rules? Omaze Sweepstakes: Win Prizes While Helping Charities, Protect Your Email Address From Spam and Scams, The Balance Everyday Terms of Use and Policies, OEBs: What They Are and How Sweepstakes Use Them, The Essential Elements of a Good Privacy Policy You Can Trust. Avoid Sweepstakes Fraud: How to Lower Your Risks and Stay Safe. Are You Helping Scammers By Liking the Wrong Facebook Sweepstakes? There are 3 types: Hosts, Aggregators and Giveaways. How can you tell the difference between a legitimate giveaway and a site that's trying to get your personal information for spam, scams, or identity theft? 6. The entire message body is an image. Keep in mind that the property owner may not know the fair market rent rate, they might be renting the unit in off-peak season, or the unit is flawed in some way (near a noisy highway, for example). A legitimate sweepstakes should have a way of contacting them whether by email, phone or mail. Is There a Legitimate Company Behind the Giveaway? We also work to ensure that all donations are delivered securely to the right person. Finding one that is legitimate is the key to participating in a fun survey. Author: Tanya Rivera If you want to profit off of taking a survey, you need to be extra cautious about which survey is legitimate or not. Then click on the “Enter to Win” button. Legitimate companies run sweepstakes in order to promote their products, websites, or services. All prizes are sponsored by WowStakes.com. That makes them a prime target for spammers to imitate, since they want to get your personal information, too. But that’s not how legitimate sweepstakes work. Some legitimate sponsors do create separate websites to promote their giveaways, but they should make it clear who is hosting the sweep and why. Scammers are always looking to make a quick buck off of you online. 04/29/2016 04:43 pm ET Updated Dec 06, 2017 With so much tragedy in the world today, sometimes it feels like all news is bad news. 6. Most sweepstakes are run by legitimate companies that really give you the chance to win attractive prizes simply for entering. Some sweepstakes sites will just give you the creeps, even though you can't pinpoint exactly why. By using The Balance Everyday, you accept our. A legitimate debt collector can tell you the entire history of your debt in collections, including who your original creditor was, what kind of debt it was (student loans, medical, etc.) Just having a privacy policy doesn't mean a giveaway is legit. Does the Sweepstakes Ask for Reasonable Information? Do your own research online. One way that legit sweepstakes stand out from the rest is that they tell you exactly how they are planning on using that information through a privacy policy. If you are contacted first and want more verification then reply to their email or ask them by phone to provide you with some proof that this is a real sweepstakes. A legitimate company or sweepstakes will never ask you to send money to them. Reader's Digest's sweepstakes are not scams. Some jurisdictions have specific laws covering what needs to be in the rules and how an entrant should be able to find them. NO PURCHASES ARE NECESSARY! Don't be fooled by fake sweepstakes. While PCH's sweepstakes are legitimate, Sweepstakes scams often use Publisher's Clearing House's name to try to trick people into believing they've won a big prize. Some signs that a sweepstakes site is a scam include: requiring proof of purchase without an alternate entry method, charging an entry fee, and promising you better chances to win if you make a purchase. The Balance Everyday uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. It specifies how your information is stored, whether they'll share it with any partner companies, and how they will keep it safe. The first thing to know is, sweepstakes sites are required to be free of charge. We know all of the laws and rules which govern operating sweepstakes legitimately. Participation with our advertisers will in no way affect your odds of winning. Legitimate senders always include a bit of text somewhere in their email even if the focus is an image. If you have to pay, it’s not a prize. Follow these suggestions to make sure you are getting the most out out taking your survey and you find a legitimate … There are more sweepstakes out there than you could possibly enter, so there's no reason to risk putting your personal information at risk if you suspect that the giveaway is not legitimate. If you enter and win a legitimate sweepstakes, you don’t have to pay insurance, taxes, or shipping charges to collect your prize. Furthermore, counterfeit exchanges do not update their rates in real-time. There are plenty of websites that list reputable businesses. We want our players to have fun entering. Does the Giveaway Follow Sweepstakes Laws? That’s one sure sign it’s not legit. If you get a bad feeling about a particular giveaway, just pass it by. Contest Hosts (Canada) such as: CBC DOSE Sweepstakes Aggregators (U.S.) such as: Online-Sweepstakes Should You Hand Over Your Social Security Number When You Win Prizes? If you’ve ever wondered how to tell if a website is legit, then … Services like Norton Safe Web and Virus Total analyze URLs and tell us if the site we are interested in visiting is safe or malicious. Here are your clues to a legitimate win: You remember entering. If you cannot tell who the sponsor is or what they are promoting, you should be extremely wary of the sweepstakes. 4. They're the ones calling you and asking you to verify your identity by wiring money or ask you to pay fees to get your prize. 3. There are plenty more, and some of them can be so cleverly executed it's hard to tell something might be amiss until you have fallen for the scam. While Wowstakes itself is new, again, we are industry veterans and as soon as our contests begin to close, you will in fact see winners posted on the site. It's standard for legitimate sweepstakes to ask you for information such as your name, address, date of birth, email address, and telephone number. Let’s review some of the ways you can be sure you are signing up with a credible business. She has been working in the contest industry since 2002. Many scammers use the same common tricks to convince their victims to... Use a Search Engine to Check Out Your Prize. Some sites have a privacy policy and clearly say that they will spam you and misuse your personal information. Sweepstakes laws are very specific and any company running a sweepstakes site must follow these rules to the letter of the law. Here at Wowstakes, we do not sell or rent the email address of our entrants. 2. Check Their Credentials. It's standard for legitimate sweepstakes to ask you for information such as your name, address, date of birth, email address, and telephone number. Void where prohibited. Legitimate sweepstakes sites have rules that govern their contests, and they make those rules clearly available to their entrants. Can You Get to the Sweepstakes From the Sponsor's Website? If you say you have no matric, they will say it is all right – there is a way around it. With over $9 billion raised from more than 120 million donations, GoFundMe offers users a proven and legitimate platform for fundraising. These include making it clear that you have not won before you enter, not charging a fee to enter (except in the case of some creative contests), and having a free method of entry. While Wowstakes is indeed a new site, our team is comprised of sweepstakes industry veterans. Legitimate sweepstakes follow the basic laws that govern contests and giveaways. After all, spammers can slap up a privacy policy as well. However, they should never require that you enter financial information such as a credit card number, bank account number, or social security number in order to enter to win. When you sign up for a contest or drawing, you probably will get more promotional mail, telemarketing calls, or spam email instead of a prize. Do NOT use the telephone numbers or email addresses included in your win notice; scammers fake that information to trick their victims. You should be sure to read through the privacy policy, especially if you have a "bad feeling" about the sweepstakes' website. Legitimate businesses all share solid characteristics that are easy to recognize. After you've had a chance to check out the URL and the content, you should have a good idea as to whether or not the site is legitimate. Scammers have a … There are many fun and completely legitimate sweepstakes sites online these days where people really do win cash and prizes. Fake websites rarely go to the trouble of getting an ‘https’ authentication. This is the same as sending someone cash. It’s illegal to ask you to pay or buy something to enter or increase your odds of winning. If a site is asking you for a fee to play or join, steer clear of it. It’s a fast and simple as that. If you do win a prize, you may be required to reveal your social security number, but this should never be asked on an entry form. Beware of … You, obviously, want to avoid those. WowStakes is a free sweepstakes site. But not having one is a bad sign that should make you hesitate to enter. You should avoid sweepstakes that have no rules whatsoever -- they are clearly more interested in getting your information than in running a fair contest. How to Tell If a Charity Is Legitimate: Tools and Tips for Donors. Here at WowStakes, we make entering our free sweepstakes contests a breeze. Do pay attention to the charity’s name and web address. 3) Go to websites that list legitimate sweepstakes, contests and giveaways to enter. 1. Wowstakes sweepstakes promotions are open exclusively to legal residents of the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Con artists get that, and they exploit your eagerness to score that big check or dream trip. The "Win" is From a Lottery (Especially a Foreign Lottery) Did you receive a notification that you … Sometimes disreputable companies will try to seem more legitimate by creating a sweepstakes site that mimics a legitimate company's website. Period. See the Wowstakes Terms and Privacy Policy for more details. We simply use it to track your entries and notify you if you win. A legitimate sweepstakes will give the odds of winning the prize, as they are required by law to do. We hope you enjoy all of the chances to enter and wish you good luck! You will never be charged any fee whatsoever to be eligible for our sweepstakes. In order to keep the site free to use, WowStakes is supported by advertising. 5. A good way to check whether sweepstakes really come from reputable sponsors is to visit the company's main web page and see if it references the sweep. What Information Should You Share on Sweepstakes Entry Forms? Also, look at the website itself to see if it connects securely over https and displays a tiny padlock icon in the address bar. After all, the purpose of a sweepstakes site is to give something away – cash and/or prizes. A real sweepstakes site will always have a way to contact them and list where they are located. Use these seven questions to evaluate sweepstakes and decide whether they're safe to enter. If the site is illegitimate, a quick Google check will be enough to inform you accordingly. How do you know if the sweepstakes win notification email you just received is a scam? Legitimate companies don’t do this. Fortunately, there are good people who want to help make the world a better place. RD is a legitimate company that is famous for big, million-dollar creative presentation sweepstakes, which they advertise both online and through direct mail. Sandra Grauschopf is the Contests and Sweepstakes Expert for The Balance Everyday. Never give out your bank information to a sweepstakes site either. A release form or affidavit is attached. The FTC recommends searching for a charity’s name or a cause you want to support (like “animal welfare” or “homeless kids”) with terms such as “highly rated charity,” “complaints” and “scam.”. How to Know if an Online Business or Company Is Legitimate. Overpayments. Does the Website Have a Contact Page? So, rest assured, when you enter for chances to win on Wowstakes, you are entering a real and legitimate sweepstakes site. Taxes on such winnings should always be paid directly to the government. Also never send money through wire transfer under these circumstances. None of these companies are associated with WowStakes.com, nor do they sponsor or endorse any of these sweepstakes. You might find this information in the rules. Legitimate sweepstakes are free and by chance. However, they should never require that you enter financial information such as a credit card number, bank account number, or social security number in order to enter to win. There are many legitimate sweepstakes and contests out there, and the idea of winning some fabulous prize can be mighty alluring. After all, the purpose of a sweepstakes site is to give something away – cash and/or prizes. You’ll want to be sure the company is reputable and follows the laws which govern all sweepstakes games in their country. Will Entering Sweepstakes Get You Spammed? Sweepstakes rules may be many pages long, or they may only cover a sentence or two, but they should be present and easy to find. Wowstakes is based in the United States, and therefore follows the laws governed thereby. For example, all of their big prizes are awarded in person or by certified mail. Aside from an incredibly obvious Hotel Spa that has a pool, sauna, steam room and a gym next door – we have to admit it can be difficult to tell if a place is indeed – an establishment that provides genuine massages, facials and so on, or if it’s a business that gives a little more, you know, ‘extras’. When signing into an exchange, you must look for the green ‘https’ tag, which usually appears just before the URL of a legitimate website in the address bar. This information may also be included in the rules. If a company seems to be trying to get money from you, stay away. Sweepstakes sites need to collect personal information from you to be able to enter you no giveaways. First, don’t buy anything, sweepstakes have to follow legal no purchase rules (raffles are a different thing), and on that same note don’t give away your credit card information, or even what bank you use, even if they say you won’t be charged, there is no reason they would need that information and no legitimate sweeps would require it to enter. Sweepstakes and lottery scams have been around for a long time, and they’re still going strong. Sweepstakes Scams by Telephone: How to Detect and Avoid Them. In addition to the steps we outlined above for how to tell if a website is legit, there are tools and add-ons that can help you stay safe online as well. After all, the point is to enjoy the excitement and hopefully win cash or a prize, right?! The Listing Has Typos, Poor Grammar or Excessive Punctuation. Another sign of a legitimate sites is their winner’s list. If you didn’t enter a sweepstakes or lottery, then you can’t have won. Trustpilot is a review site that lets you see what real customers have to … Not If You Follow These Tips! Simply click on the prize you’d like chances to win and fill in your email address in the box provided on each prize page. Prizes should be delivered at absolutely no cost to the winner. Recognize the Warning Signs of Sweepstakes Scams, How to Win an iPad (Without Being Scammed), Winning on Twitter: How to Avoid Twitter Scams and Fake Prize Tweets. And companies, including Lloyd’s of London, don’t insure delivery of sweepstakes winnings. Make sure that you don’t sign up for something you didn’t intend to sign up for, and be sure to read all of the fine print. People buying something from you online “accidentally” send a check for too much and ask you to refund the balance. You can contact the notifier by phone or email directly.
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