How Fake Giveaways Work
Fake giveaways follows a small number of scripts. Recognising the shape of one is more useful than memorising individual fakes, because the details change and the structure does not.
The advance-fee win
You are told you have won and must pay a fee, tax or shipping cost first. Real companies deduct nothing and ask for nothing. In the United States, prize tax is settled with the IRS at filing, never paid to a company.
The overpayment cheque
A cheque arrives for more than the prize and you are asked to return the difference. The cheque clears provisionally, then bounces weeks later, and the money you sent is gone. Banks make funds available before a cheque truly settles, which is the mechanism the trick relies on.
The impersonated brand
A page uses a well known brand name without any affiliation. Check whether the company named in the rules is the brand itself. Large companies publish their live promotions on their own domains.
If you are targeted
Stop contact, send nothing, and report it. In the United States, report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. If money moved, contact your bank immediately, since some transfers can be recalled within a short window.