Are Online Giveaways Legit?
Some online giveaways are real and some exist only to collect contact details. The difference is visible before you enter, and it comes down to four checks that take about thirty seconds.
It names a company you can look up
A real sweepstakes states which company is running it and is legally required to. If no company is named anywhere on the page or in the rules, nobody has accepted responsibility for awarding a prize.
It publishes official rules
Rules state the entry period, the prize and its value, the odds or how they are determined, the draw date and who is eligible. This is a legal requirement in the United States, not a formality, and its absence is the single strongest warning sign.
It is free to enter
No purchase necessary is a legal requirement for a US sweepstakes. A promotion requiring payment to enter is a lottery, which private companies may not run.
It never asks for money to pay out
No legitimate company asks a winner to cover shipping, taxes, insurance or a processing fee before releasing a prize. This request is the defining feature of the advance-fee fake and it has no honest version.