How to tell a genuine win vs a scam

sleepyjones

Check the terms on your savings account, just to make sure you don't get charged for withdrawing ... be unfortunate if you won £2000 and then got charged 20% or something to withdraw it

Kerri_may

Thanks everyone, I’ll be sure to come back on here if i do get any apparent wins and I’m worried about legitimacy’ I’ve been getting spam emails all week from activeYou telling I’ve won prizes but really it’s just trying to get me to complete a survey ��

I appreciated the advice, and I totally get that it’s likely I would have to give out bank account details to receive a cash payment, but it’s not just cash comps I’m entering it’s holidays etc and I’m just looking for tips on how to spot a genuine win vs a scammer, a spam link, viruses etc. Thank you Sleep for the tips on the links ��

Marg2k8

If you get a winning email, ask yourself if you actually entered a competition to win that. If you didn't, then it is not a genuine win.

If you cannot remember what you have entered, use the thanks button and the green tick button on MSE to indicate which competitions you have entered and only enter from MSE. That way, if you get for example an email saying you have won a holiday to Egypt, you can search in game over for Egypt and see if you entered one from the company that is emailing you.

hdh74

I'm another one that would be a few hundred quid short if I didn't give out bank details. I won't give them out on the phone though and have asked them to let me email them, giving me chance to check up on their contact details. And I use an old spare saving account that has about £4 in it and does not have the full facilities of a current account just to be on the safe side.

Also if it's not addressed to you in the way you would usually enter a competition, then they got the info elsewhere. I fill in forms slightly differently with financial stuff versus comps and that can sometimes be a tip off.

Better still have a seperate comping phone and email.

slbhill

Kerri_may wrote: »

I’ve been getting spam emails all week from activeYou telling I’ve won prizes but really it’s just trying to get me to complete a survey ��

ActiveYou is on the spam list, you won't find their comps listed here for good reason. It's worth having a look at the spam list for sites to avoid, as well as the rest of the comping guide thread:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1014121/comping-guide-getting-started-other-faqs&highlight=activeyou