Would i get in trouble if i win a sweepstakes on the internet?

Question

let say you sign up to win 100,000 and 50,000 and you have to pay a fee by taking it out of your account and they mail it it may take 4 to 6 weeks for the check to come or or before you take it to the bank to sign it can the bank be suspicious about the money will they ask questions because my mom told me that i might go to jail with that amount of money.

Answer 1

It's not illegal (on your part).

But it is a scam. All they will do is take your "processing fee" (or whatever they call it) then disappear. Don't fall for it.

Answer 2

You wouldn't go to jail because of the amount of money. You might go to jail for participating in an illegal "lottery". You didn't win a sweepstakes honey. They just want you to cash a fake check to get money out of your bank account. If they do send you a check (which they likely won't), it will bounce. If they bank advances you any money at all, you'll have to pay it back.

Answer 3

While there are plenty of legitimate sweepstakes online where you can win amazing prizes, none of those legitimate sweeps will ever ask you to send money for fees or taxes. You pay your taxes directly to the IRS at tax time, just like any other income (if you are a U.S. citizen).

By the way, you can get in trouble for cashing a fraudulent check.

Check out this article for some more signs that a win is a scam: http://contests.about.com/od/conttestscams/tp/sweepstakefraud.htm

If you'd like to win prizes by entering legitimate sweepstakes, this is a great place to get started: http://contests.about.com/c/ec/1.htm

Answer 4

Beware of scams. There are plenty of sweepstakes scams that require money or a purchase upfront, but there are also scams where someone will call you and tell you you've won a prize but need to pay a fee or give them your bank account information in order to claim it. Don't fall for these tricks. Legitimate sweepstakes will not require payment or personal financial information.

Answer 5

Online sweepstakes which charge you a fee to participate are illegal. If you want to win some money or prizes on the internet, look for legit Games of Skill which are quite legal and can be very prosperous indeed. Do your research and don't get scammed.

Answer 6

Where have you been? Haven't you seen the commercials encouraging people to stay away from those scams! They're running now. You can probably find one on You Tube. You can never get something for nothing, and if you've won something legally, they would never ask you for money in return. It's a scam that's been going on for years. They're mostly Jamaican decent from England. You won't be able to prosecute or get your money back. This story ran on Dateline and 20/20 over 2 yrs ago. Listen to your Mother. Hey! I just found one of the clips. Click on the link below. I pray that you haven't sent any money yet.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OJdC4R4hrHU

Answer 7

You don't have to pay a fee if you win a legitimate sweepstakes. Must be a scam.

Answer 8

You'd never get the money anyway; it's a scam. Anything legitimate requires no fee to get your winnings, it's illegal.

Answer 9

.........no... I don't think so... you can't be pu in jail for recieving money unless youw re like selling something illegal... but anyways... any sweepstakes where you have to pay a fee is a scam.... just keep it in mind..

Answer 10

CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU WON!!! Good job, kid. But hey, now that you're rich and all, I know this guy in South Africa who has a check for $1,000,000 but he needs an American bank account to cash it. He says if you give him all of your bank account info, he'll split the check with you! Email me for details.