You've seen it. A brand-new TaylorMade driver, a logo, and a caption telling you to like, follow, tag three friends, and click the link in bio. It's a driver giveaway, and two days later a DM shows up from an account with one extra underscore in the name. Congratulations, you've won. There's just a small shipping fee.
That's a giveaway scam, and it's one of the oldest online scams around. Sweepstakes, prize, and lottery fraud is among the most common scams people report to the FTC.
Plenty of real giveaways exist too, with real gear and real trips going to real winners. Here's how to tell the difference in about five minutes, whether the prize is a set of irons or a golf vacation.
1. You never pay to claim a prize
This is the big one. The FTC puts it plainly: real prizes are free, and anyone charging "taxes," "shipping and handling," or "processing fees" to release a prize is a scammer. Gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, and payment apps are the usual asks.
One nuance worth knowing: prizes count as taxable income, so a big win can mean a tax bill. You'd settle that with the IRS when you file.
2. Watch for the hidden subscription scam
This is the sneakier cousin of the claim fee. You "win" a driver, and the claim page only asks for a few dollars in shipping. Somewhere in the fine print, that checkout signs you up for recurring subscription charges you never knowingly agreed to.
The FTC has gone after this exact play. In one case, operators used deceptive websites to charge people about $4.99 for shipping on a "free" trial, then around $90 two weeks later, plus monthly subscription charges. The terms were buried behind tiny links and faded text.
The warning signs are about hiding things. Scam websites built for a hidden subscription scam tend to bury the price and billing schedule, pre-check boxes at checkout, and make cancelling hard to find. If you've already entered a card, check your statement and dispute any charge you didn't authorize as soon as you spot it. Scammers count on you not noticing for a few months.
3. There's a free way to enter
Under US sweepstakes law, a sponsor generally can't require a purchase to enter a game of chance. That's why you'll see "No purchase necessary" on legit sweepstakes, along with instructions for a free way to enter.
If you can't find that line anywhere, walk away.
4. The Official Rules are easy to find
Every real sweepstakes has written Official Rules. Look for the basics:
- The sponsor's name and contact information
- Start and end dates
- Who's eligible
- What the prize is and its approximate retail value (ARV)
- How winners get picked and contacted
- What the odds depend on
Large prizes can come with extra state rules, too, and sponsors handle those in different ways, sometimes by limiting which states can enter. The rules are where all of that should be spelled out. If there's no link to them, keep scrolling.
5. The sponsor is a real, findable business
Search the company name along with words like "review" or "scam." You want a working website, a way to contact a real person, and a history that goes back further than last Tuesday. Then check the account that contacted you against the brand's real, verified handle. Scammers lean hard on names that look like real companies, right down to the logo.
6. You actually entered
The FTC suggests a simple gut check: did you enter this sweepstakes at all? If you're being told you won something you never entered, you have your answer.
7. Nobody's rushing you
"Claim within 24 hours or your prize goes to the next winner." Urgency is a classic pressure tactic, and the FTC flags it as one of the three signs of a prize scam.
8. The brand is open about its winners
Legit giveaways tend to talk about who won. Look for winner announcements, photos, or past giveaways you can trace. A brand that's actually given things away usually doesn't mind showing it.
9. A trip prize spells out the trip
Gear is easy to verify. A golf trip is harder, which is why vague trip prizes are a favorite of shady operators. A clear golf vacation prize describes the golf resort, the nights, the courses, the rounds, and what's included, like green fees or travel.
Then check whether those details make sense for the place. Every famous golf destination has its own booking rules and seasons.
Destination details worth knowing
Pebble Beach. Advance tee times are tied to resort stays, and the resort's own calendar shows a two-night minimum on most dates. A Pebble prize should mention where you're staying. Here's how Pebble's tee time system actually works.
Bandon Dunes. The courses at Bandon are walking-only. Prize copy that talks about cart rides on the Oregon coast is a sign somebody's never been there.
Pinehurst and the Sandhills. No. 2 is built around resort stays. Around it, Southern Pines, Mid Pines, Pine Needles, and Tobacco Road all sell stay and play packages with published rates.
Kohler, Sand Valley, and Northern Michigan. These are summer golf destinations. A January round at Kohler or Sand Valley, or a February round at Arcadia Bluffs, its South Course, Treetops, or the Bay Harbor nine called The Quarry, should raise questions. Same goes for Gamble Sands in central Washington.
Payne's Valley. It's part of Big Cedar Lodge in the Missouri Ozarks.
Florida and the Southeast coast. Streamsong, Cabot Citrus Farms, Innisbrook, TPC Sawgrass, Sea Island, and the Ocean Course at Kiawah all play year-round.
The desert. Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, and Mesquite peak in winter, when rates run highest.
Myrtle Beach and the RTJ Trail. Golf packages at Myrtle Beach and along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail are known for being affordable, which makes a weekend getaway or a buddies trip there easy to price.
A good habit for any golf travel prize: price a similar trip yourself using public golf courses and published rates. It only takes a few minutes, whether it's a golf getaway or a road trip.
If something feels off
Stop before you pay or share anything. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and report the account to the platform. Then tell your golf group chat, because somebody in there is about to click that link.
Read the rules, every time
That goes for every giveaway you see, ours included. Before you enter anything, find the Official Rules and give them five minutes. It's the best scam filter there is.
If you ever get a DM saying you've won something from Big Draw, check it against our verified social handles before you reply. We'll never ask a winner to pay a fee to receive a prize.
This post is general information, not legal advice.
No purchase necessary to enter or win. See Official Rules for eligibility and free entry details.
