If you receive a "prize notification" from a suspicious lottery:

• Don't respond to the emails.
• Don't pay any money in advance to collect a prize.
• Don't reveal your full identity.
• Don't reveal your bank account number or credit card details.

Almost all the recent cases brought to our notice have involved the advanced fee formula also favored by thousands of "Nigerian scam" schemes: Victims typically are notified they have won, yet have to transfer fees or provide proof of their identity and/or details of their bank accounts in order to access the "winnings". The names of the organizations running these operations change all the time, although many of the notifications use similar wording.

The World Lottery Association cannot stress too emphatically the dangers of responding to this type of correspondence. Even if no money is transferred to these organizations, simply providing an ID or bank account details to an unknown party makes consumers vulnerable to identity theft and fraudulent use of their bank accounts.

All the members of the World Lottery Association are state-operated or state-licensed lottery organizations that only sell their lottery products within their respective jurisdictions. They never require winners to supply private banking information or pay fees of any kind to collect a prize.

Legitimate sweepstakes don't require prior payment or purchase to enter or improve the chances of winning. Nor do they require the payment of "taxes" or "shipping and handling charges" in advance to receive a prize. Sponsors of legitimate contests identify themselves prominently, while fraudulent promoters are more likely to downplay their identities. Legitimate promoters also provide an address or toll-free phone numbers where consumers can request that their names be removed from their mailing or calling list.

Other organizations offer to purchase tickets for bona fide lotteries operating in other jurisdictions. Although many of these agents advertise openly in reputable publications, the legality of their offers is highly dubious. Almost all state-regulated lotteries are legally bound to operate only in their own jurisdictions, and they do not endorse or condone cross-border sales of any description. Consumers deal with offshore ticket agents at their own risk and peril: There are no guarantees that bets will be placed or that any winnings will be paid.

Before responding to a "prize notification" or purchasing tickets from an offshore lottery agent, consumers should bear in mind that they will probably have no legal recourse if the operation turns out to be fraudulent.

The International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network offers an online complaint form. This is part of a joint project by 17 nations and will allow consumer protection agencies to spot current fraudulent schemes.

Dubious emails can be forwarded to the "Abuse" teams at the ISP (Internet Service Provider) used by the lottery organizer. For more about fighting spam, visit Spam Abuse Net.