07/20/2026
Have you ever received a call, email, or letter saying that you have won a sweepstakes, lottery, or prize? Scammers often ask you to pay a fee or provide your account information before you can claim your winnings. Be cautious -- these offers are fraudulent.
Scams often utilize prizes to entice the victim to give their information or money to the scammer. The scammer may ask you to pay a fee for taxes, shipping and handling, processing fees, or custom duties to receive the prize. They may even claim your chances of winning will increase if you pay additional fees. Legitimate sweepstakes and prize organizations will never ask you to pay money to claim a prize or request sensitive financial information.
Scammers will say anything to get your money or information. They may say that they are with the government, with familiar organizations, or pressure you to act fast to convince you that the offer is real. If someone asks for money or personal information to claim a prize, it’s a scam.
How to Protect Yourself:
• Never send money if you are “winning” a sweepstakes, lottery, or prize.
• Do not share your personal information. The scammer may say that they need your personal information for verification but that is identity theft in disguise.
• Avoid clicking links or responding. Delete suspicious emails, text, or messages immediately.
• Talk to someone you trust. Confide in a friend or family member if you are uneasy about a request or suspect scamming.
• Report to your financial institution immediately if you think you’ve been scammed or have already shared information.
If you have been a victim of this type of activity, we encourage you to file a complaint with the FBI at www.ic3.gov.
To protect your ETPCU debit/credit cards, we strongly recommend closely monitoring your accounts through Online Banking or our free Mobile App. These services provide tools to reduce your risk of being a fraud victim including Card Control, which allows you to turn your card on or off, and Manage Alerts, which allows you to receive real-time alerts of account activity.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at 903-323-1238. Our team is here to help protect you.
For information on common scams, please visit the crime info tab at https://www.ic3.gov/Psa.
