Is it safe to enter online competitions? Yes, it is safe to play online competitions on well established and transparent online websites. However, you must do your due diligence check before deciding who to trust. With a safety-first mindset, you can play online safely and securely. We'll cover a safety checklist in this post.
All of the competition games at FreeLottoFest are fully PCI compliant and undergo periodic safety checks to make sure that all card transactions are processed securely. If you have any questions regarding the safety of FreeLottoFest you can also email our team who will get back to you and answer any questions you may have.
A safe and legitimate competition website will always have a well-built homepage that is kept updated regularly. Check the website’s homepage for long loading times, spelling errors or logos from official brands that are being used without permission. All of these will point towards a website being dodgy. Also, keep an eye out for homepage updates like winner testimonials and new competition updates. Winner testimonials are usually found at the bottom of the homepage or in their own section of the website.
Always check if a website is legitimate before playing online competitions. FreeLottoFest only uses the latest security measures to meet the highest industry security standards to make it one of the safest online competition websites. Currently, FreeLottoFest makes use of Thawte SSL 256 bit security encryption to process all debit and credit card transactions. There are also monthly security checks to test how secure the database is against hackers.
It is estimated that over 1 billion people play in online competitions every year. And if you want to join the ranks of online competition winners it’s important to know the difference between a legitimate competition website and a scam website. Playing at a legitimate competition website can mean millions in winnings while playing at a scam website could mean having your personal details stolen or worse.
Another major concern for online competition players is what the company does with their private information and email address. What will often happen is that competition websites will share or sell your information to other companies, who will then contact you with their promotions. To prevent this from happening be sure to opt-out of any future promotional materials, or report their emails as spam. N.B: FreeLottoFest will never forward your personal details to third-party companies.
Online Competition websites could be fake, and cybercriminals are often behind these illegitimate sites. They will use these fake websites to get your personal information like names, addresses and email addresses. After they have this info they may attempt to commit fraud or other crime.
Experts say that most people who register with dodgy competition websites could prevent this by following a few easy steps. Below are some tips you can use to keep your personal information safe when entering online competitions:
● Use strong passwords. Always make sure that you use different passwords for all of your different accounts. When signing up for online competitions it is always best to use a new username and password.
● Read the terms and conditions. When checking if a competitions website is legitimate you can read through the terms and conditions to see how the company manages things like your personal information and how they pay out their winnings. Also, make sure to check that the site is GDPR compliant.
● Check for full GDPR compliance. A legitimate competition site will always meet the latest General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR is an EU law that protects and regulates the transfer of personal information between individuals and companies.
● Check the player testimonials. A great way to see if a competitions website is safe and legitimate is to see if they have an active player base, and what the players have to say about their playing experience, and if the players have collected winnings.
● Make sure that you can opt-out at any time. A legitimate and safe online competitions website will always allow its players to opt-out at any time and make the process of opting out simple to understand.
● Have a separate email account for competition websites. Many competition websites may bombard you with promotional emails and offers. Having a separate email account for online competitions will prevent your main email account from getting cluttered with promotional materials.
● Use a dedicated competition phone or sim card. Having a phone or sim card that you only use for competitions will mean you don’t need to deal with spam phone calls if your number falls into the wrong hands.
But what about spotting an unsafe competitions website before you’re taken for a ride? Some scam websites are easier to spot than others... if you know what to look out for an unpleasant experience can be avoided. Below are some factors to look out for when registering and playing at an online competitions site:
● Odd-looking URLs and pages. Sometimes cybercriminals will use the names of established brands or websites to make their scam website look legitimate. Dodgy websites will also use the names of established brands in their URLs to make them seem more legitimate.
● Prizes are too good to be true. The old saying “if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is’, comes to mind here. If a competition website guarantees that you’ll win or if they offer unrealistic prizes, it could be a scam website.
● No player testimonials or official announcements. A lack of real players and testimonials means that nobody is collecting winnings and the website may not be safe to use. A legitimate site will ask their loyal players and winners for a short statement about their experiences with the website.
● No contact details. If a competition site is dodgy they will want to prevent you from contacting or locating them at all costs. If there is no contact email or other support details, this is a major red flag.
● Check online reviews. People don’t take too kindly to being scammed, and they are not shy to let others know of their bad experiences. If you’re suspicious of an online competition just search their name and see if any negative reviews are posted online.
Playing and winning in online competitions is a great way to get your hands on big cash prizes that you may not be able to play for otherwise. But things can get ugly if the site you are using is not safe and secure. Follow the above guidelines and you will have a good chance of staying safe when playing online.
Anything from identity theft to fraud could happen if your personal information falls into the wrong hands, so make sure to do your due diligence to ensure the website of the online competition you’re using is safe.
Online fraud aside, there are quite a few reasons that playing competitions online are safer than playing with a physical entry or ticket. You don’t have to worry about your entry being lost or misplaced in the mail when playing competitions online. Playing online competitions is also seen as safer than SMS competitions, as players are increasingly viewing SMS competitions as unwanted spam.
Entering online competitions is also seen as safer than using physical tickets because the theft of physical tickets is a regular occurrence, and the thieves will use the tickets to steal your personal information.
To summarise; keep a lookout for the following when assessing if an online competition site is safe:
● Player testimonials. These help to show that the site has an active player base that are collecting winnings.
● Online safety and security protocols. This shows that the competition website has taken the necessary steps to protect their players' private information.
● The homepage looks legitimate. An online competitions website that is serious about getting players to take part will put time and effort into getting their homepage up to industry standard.
● Valid contact details are available. Check on the homepage for a working email address, phone number or live chat option before you play at any online competition website.
So there you have it, you can now spot a scam or unsafe competition website, and can start your journey on winning big with legitimate competition sites. You’ve learned about what to look out for to find safe and legitimate competition websites. All you need to do is pick one of the online competitions at FreeLottoFest, get your tickets and wait for the winnings to start rolling in.
Good luck!
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