A common concern we hear of in the prize competitions sector is the fear of putting your hard-earned money in a competition, or submitting your information in a form, and then not being sure whether it is genuine.

Let’s face it, this is all about trust and we all know there are many companies out there that are based offshore that won’t hesitate to get your contact details (or even worse, your money) and then sell the information onto a third party… And before you know it, you’re getting phone calls to try to sell you insurance for a car you didn’t even win!

Most of us are quite able to spot an obvious scam a mile off, but sometimes even the best of us get caught out. Obviously the email out of nowhere telling you that you have just won the lottery even though you didn’t participate is pretty obvious (although even that catches a few out…). But sometimes it’s not that clear, which is why it pays to look out for some obvious tell-tale signs.