How to Find the Best Online Sweepstakes

Exchange Serta Sweepstakes (Photo credit: Morning Calm News)

Finding online sweepstakes doesn't take a lot of time or knowhow. You could just use a search engine to find websites that let you enter sweepstakes. That approach, however, can cause some serious problems, especially when you don't know how to differentiate between legitimate and scam sweepstakes. If you fall for a scam, you could find that you lose money or that someone steals your identity.

Look for Sweepstakes through Companies you Trust

You can start by entering sweepstakes run by companies you already trust. Many retailers and manufacturers host sweepstakes to promote their businesses. When you shop the latest retail deals, you get to sign up for the sweepstakes instantly. Start by making a short list of the stores you like and trust most. Visit their websites and look for sweepstakes offers. You can also search the Internet for the name of the store and the word "sweepstakes." That should take you directly to the business's sweepstakes page.




Learn How to Identify Legitimate Sweepstakes

If you decide to look for sweepstakes online, then you need to know how to differentiate legitimate offers from scams. First, look for a privacy policy on the website. If privacy isn't addressed, then you should immediately leave the page and find another sweepstakes. Second, look for some of the telltale signs of a sweepstakes scam. Do they ask for money? Do they require you to purchase something? Do they want your social security number or credit card account? If they want any of these things, it's safest to walk away. Otherwise, you're just giving money and private information to a stranger with absolutely no guarantee that you'll get anything in return.

Find a Reliable Sweepstakes Website

Searching the Internet for legitimate sweepstakes can take a lot of time. Why not let someone else do the grunt work for you? There are plenty of websites that focus on finding legitimate sweepstakes for people to enter. They spend their time looking for sweepstakes that will interest their viewers. They often come up with an impressive list of new sweepstakes every day. That way, you get information on daily sweepstakes quickly without dedicating yourself to a lot of research.

Just like any other sweepstakes, though, you have to stay vigilant when you enter the ones you find on these sites. A website might promise to give you legitimate offers by weeding out the scams, but they might not really spend a lot of time trying to decide which ones fall into the legitimate category. They could also make a mistake by including a scam that they thought was a legitimate sweepstakes. If you trust them completely, then you could become a victim. Always keep your guard up and think for yourself no matter what sites you use.