Pay "taxes" on your winnings first. The prize never came.

A cheerful voice said I had won a sweepstakes I barely remembered entering, but taxes on the winnings had to be prepaid before they could release the prize. It sounded like bureaucracy, not theft, and I wanted the good news to be true.

They cited IRS or HMRC-style language, gave me a case number, and told me to wire the tax prepayment to a named account so the prize office could clear the funds. I sent the money, waited for the courier update, and got another fee request instead.

Tax-on-winnings fraud is advance-fee theatre: each payment unlocks a new "processing" charge until you stop. There was no prize, no official ledger—only a script designed to drain savings before you hang up.

I thought I was doing the legal thing and did not want to forfeit a win over paperwork. Part of me wondered why a real agency would not simply deduct tax from the prize, but I ignored the doubt because the caller sounded calm and patient.

When I called the real tax authority on a number from their website they said they never collect prize tax that way, and the prize line went dead the same afternoon. That mismatch was the moment the story collapsed.

I lost savings I had meant to keep liquid and felt foolish for weeks. Filing a report did not refund me, but it stopped me from chasing the next "final fee" they promised.

I now know real prizes do not require upfront tax wires to strangers on the phone. I wish I had hung up and verified through official channels before I sent anything.

• Never prepay taxes or fees to claim a prize—report to the FTC.

For more help, see our Report a scam page and Spot and avoid scams guide.