Fake Lottery Winner Messages: How UAE Lottery and Prize Scams Target Indians

By BillCut
Last updated: 24 October 2026

A message saying you have won a foreign lottery and must pay a fee to claim it is almost always a lottery scam. The Reserve Bank of India has warned that fraudsters ask victims to deposit small sums as processing or transaction fees, and that remitting money abroad to take part in such offers is illegal.

Searches for UAE lottery winners rose after Anilkumar Bolla, an Indian resident of Abu Dhabi, won the Dh100 million UAE Lottery jackpot, as reported by The National. Scammers use news like this to make fake prize messages look believable.

What does a fake lottery message look like?

It usually arrives out of the blue by SMS, WhatsApp, email or a call, says you have won a lottery or lucky draw you never entered, and asks you to pay before the money is released.

The Reserve Bank of India cautions the public that these offers reach people through letters, emails, mobile phones and SMS. It also says fraudsters often use letterheads or websites that look like those of public authorities, sometimes with real officials’ names but fake signatures.

What the message says	What it usually means
“Pay a processing fee to release your prize”	The first of several payments the scammer will ask for
“Customs fee” or “courier charge” for a parcel of cash or gifts	There is no parcel; the fee is the scam
“Tax clearance” or “anti-money laundering certificate” charge	A made-up stage to extract a bigger payment
A letter on “RBI” or bank letterhead confirming your winnings	A forged document; the RBI says it does not send such emails

Does the RBI ever tell you about lottery winnings?

No. In the same warning, the Reserve Bank of India says nobody from the RBI calls people about lottery winnings or funds received from abroad, and that it does not send emails about the award of lottery funds. It also says the RBI does not hold accounts for individuals, so a message claiming the RBI is holding your prize is fake.

Is it legal to send money abroad for a lottery?

No. The RBI’s FAQs on the Liberalised Remittance Scheme say the scheme cannot be used for remittances prohibited under Schedule I of the current account rules, giving purchase of lottery tickets and sweepstakes as examples.

A separate RBI press release on fictitious offers says such remittances are illegal, and that a resident who makes them may be proceeded against under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.

What are the red flags of a lottery scam?

Red flag	Why it matters
You never bought a ticket or entered a draw	You cannot win something you did not enter
You must pay before you receive anything	This is the pattern the RBI describes in its fraud warnings
Payment goes to a personal UPI ID or bank account	Check who you would actually be paying; no one should need your money to release a prize
They ask for OTPs, card details or Aadhaar	Signals identity theft on top of the fee fraud
Spelling errors, odd logos, “pay within 24 hours”	Common signs of a forged notice and pressure tactics

The same tricks show up in other frauds. See BillCut’s guides to fake KYC update SMS scams and deepfake scams.

Why should you never borrow to pay a prize fee?

Victims who lack the cash often swipe a credit card or take a quick app loan. The prize never arrives, but the debt and its interest stay.

Here is an illustrative example. Say a scammer asks for three payments: a Rs 4,999 processing fee, an Rs 18,500 customs fee and a Rs 45,000 tax clearance fee. That is Rs 68,499 in total. If you borrow it over six months at an illustrative 30% a year, the EMI is about Rs 12,436, and you repay about Rs 74,616. That is about Rs 6,117 in interest on money you have already lost.

If you have already borrowed to pay such fees, or a fraud has left you juggling several high interest card balances and loan EMIs, it may help to look at whether one structured EMI could cost less in total. Check your options with BillCut.

What should you do if you get a fake lottery message?

1. Do not reply, click links, or call the number given in the message.
2. Never pay any fee, tax or charge to “release” a prize, and never share OTPs or card details.
3. Report the attempt on Chakshu. The government says the Chakshu facility on Sanchar Saathi lets citizens report suspected fraud communications, including fake lottery, gift and loan offers, where fraud was attempted but no money was lost.

What should you do if you already paid?

1. Call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 for financial fraud as soon as possible.
2. Report the crime online on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
3. Call your bank or card issuer, ask them to block the card or UPI access, and dispute the transaction in writing.
4. Keep screenshots, UPI IDs and transaction references as evidence.
5. Be wary of “recovery agents” who promise to get your money back for a fee. That is often a second scam. BillCut explains how scammers work on WhatsApp in real vs fake WhatsApp loan messages.

How BillCut can help

BillCut is a balance transfer and debt reduction platform. It works with lending partners to help eligible borrowers move high interest dues, such as credit card balances and personal loan EMIs, into one structured EMI. BillCut earns from helping borrowers refinance, so it has an interest in this option. Approval and terms depend on the partner lender, and a switch only makes sense if the total cost after fees is lower. If an app loan taken in a hurry is now a problem, read how to identify fake loan apps.

Frequently asked questions

This article is for general information only and is not financial or legal advice. The loan figures above are illustrative. Check your bank and loan documents, and speak to your bank, the police or a qualified professional before making decisions.