I got an SMS saying I won a prize or a competition. Is it real?
If you did not enter a competition, you did not win one. Prize SMSes that ask you to pay a release fee, send airtime, call a premium number or click a link to claim are scams; a real prize never costs you anything to receive.
The messages use the names of big retailers, banks, cellphone networks and the lottery. The link leads to a page that asks for your details or your card, or the "agent" on the phone asks for a small fee to process the prize.
What to do
- Do not click the link and do not phone the number in the SMS.
- If you want to be sure, contact the company through the number on its official website.
- Never pay a fee, send airtime or share a one-time PIN to claim a prize.
- Delete the SMS and block the number.
- If you clicked and entered card details, phone your bank straight away.
Frequently asked questions
- The SMS has my name in it. Does that make it real?
- No. Names and numbers leak from many places. Personalised scam messages are common.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you're chatting to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email address, the name and the ID document, for R99.
Check a person