What are the red flags of this scam?

You received an unsolicited text, email, or saw an ad claiming you won — real lotteries never contact winners who did not enter, and Loto-Québec does not notify winners by text or social media ad • The site asks for your credit or debit card number to 'process' or 'release' your winnings — a real lottery payout is sent to you, never through your card • The notification promises a specific dollar amount ($1,000–$3,000 'welcome bonus' or a jackpot) without you having entered any draw • The website uses Loto-Québec's logos, casino imagery, or Government of Canada design but the domain is not lotoquebec.com or canada.ca • You are asked to pay a 'processing fee,' 'tax,' or 'release deposit' before you can collect your prize — no legitimate Canadian lottery charges fees to winners

What should I do if this happened to me?

Do not click links in unsolicited prize notification texts or emails — go directly to lotoquebec.com or the provincial lottery's official site to verify any claim • Real lottery winnings require presenting a winning ticket in person — you cannot win a draw you did not enter and no legitimate lottery contacts you first • Never enter your credit card, debit card, or banking details on a site reached through an unsolicited prize notification • If you provided card details, call your bank immediately to flag the card and request a replacement • Report phishing texts to the CAFC Spam Reporting Centre by forwarding to 7726 (SPAM) • Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

HIGH phishing Last reported: Sep 28, 2026 Share

A text or social media ad says you won a Loto-Québec jackpot or prize — the fake site steals your card

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. An unsolicited text, email, or social media ad claims you won a Loto-Québec jackpot, casino gaming bonus, or national prize. A link leads to a fake site using official logos that asks for your credit card or banking details to "release" the winnings.

An unsolicited text, email, or social media ad claims you won a Loto-Québec jackpot, casino gaming bonus, or national prize. A link leads to a fake site using official logos that asks for your credit card or banking details to "release" the winnings.

Also known as: fake Loto-Québec win notification Canada, fake lottery prize text Canada, fake prize winner SMS Canada, sweepstakes phishing scam Canada, fake casino bonus scam Quebec

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Do not click links in unsolicited prize notification texts or emails — go directly to lotoquebec.com or the provincial lottery's official site to verify any claim
2 Real lottery winnings require presenting a winning ticket in person — you cannot win a draw you did not enter and no legitimate lottery contacts you first
3 Never enter your credit card, debit card, or banking details on a site reached through an unsolicited prize notification
4 If you provided card details, call your bank immediately to flag the card and request a replacement
5 Report phishing texts to the CAFC Spam Reporting Centre by forwarding to 7726 (SPAM)
6 Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

Red flags

⚠ You received an unsolicited text, email, or saw an ad claiming you won — real lotteries never contact winners who did not enter, and Loto-Québec does not notify winners by text or social media ad
⚠ The site asks for your credit or debit card number to 'process' or 'release' your winnings — a real lottery payout is sent to you, never through your card
⚠ The notification promises a specific dollar amount ($1,000–$3,000 'welcome bonus' or a jackpot) without you having entered any draw
⚠ The website uses Loto-Québec's logos, casino imagery, or Government of Canada design but the domain is not lotoquebec.com or canada.ca
⚠ You are asked to pay a 'processing fee,' 'tax,' or 'release deposit' before you can collect your prize — no legitimate Canadian lottery charges fees to winners

Known variants

Fake casino gaming bonus: social media ads (Facebook, Instagram) using Quebec casino imagery and official Loto-Québec logos promise $1,000–$3,000 'welcome bonus' to new members. The linked site harvests payment card details and deposits nothing.

Last seen: 9/28/2026

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Known variants

Sources