Fake Mobile Money Promotions and Prize Messages
"Congratulations, you have won in our anniversary promotion!" How fake mobile money promotions work, why you never pay or enter your PIN to receive a prize, and how to check real promotions.
A message or call says you have won cash, airtime or a phone in a mobile money promotion. To claim it, you just need to pay a small fee, dial a code, or enter your PIN to "receive" the prize. Every one of those steps sends your money the wrong way.
How the trick works
- A fee: "pay 20 to process your 5,000 prize".
- An approval prompt: "enter your PIN to accept the prize", which is really a payment. See approval prompts.
- A code that changes settings or authorises payments. See dial-code scams.
- Your details for "registration", used later for fraud.
How to check a real promotion
- Look for it on the provider's official website, app or verified social media.
- Call the official customer care number yourself.
- Remember: you never pay, or enter your PIN, to receive a prize.
Related: fake telco and bank promotions and fake lottery and prize messages. For more, see common mobile money scams.
Frequently asked questions
Do mobile money providers run real promotions?
Yes, but they announce them through official channels, and you never pay a fee or give your PIN to collect a prize.
The message came from a short code. Is it real?
Check on the provider's official website or app. Scammers can imitate sender names, and they often follow up with a call.
What if I entered my PIN?
Change it immediately and call the provider's official number to check for transactions.
Sources
- Fake Prize, Sweepstakes, and Lottery Scams, US Federal Trade Commission
- Scam Advice, GSMA
- Mobile Payment Apps: How To Avoid a Scam When You Use One, US Federal Trade Commission
