Is Clawee a Scam?

If you’re thinking of playing Clawee, you need to know whether it’s safe. Is Clawee a scam? 

Below, we explain whether Clawee is a scam and discuss some steps you can take to improve your safety when playing this mobile game. 

What Is Clawee?

Clawee is a real, 24/7 claw-machine mobile game app.

You control a real, physical claw machine through a live video feed remotely from your phone to grab a prize, which is then shipped to you (you have to pay for shipping unless you’re a VIP member). 

Each attempt costs you a set number of coins. 

You typically buy coins to play the game, though you can also get free coins through promotions or bonuses. 

The game was developed by the company Gigantic Ltd., based in Israel, and is available on iOS and Android.

Is Clawee a Scam?

Clawee appears to be a legitimate mobile claw machine game, but user experiences vary widely. 

Several third-party publications and review sites have reviewed Clawee, including The Budget Diet, Paid From Surveys, and MoneyPantry. 

All three conclude that though the game is fun, the prizes aren’t worth paying the shipping cost for. 

For example, The Budget Diet says: 

“[…]While the virtual claw game is a cool concept, the prizes aren’t worth the shipping cost. You’re better off buying similar prizes from the dollar store or going to an in-person arcade like they did in the good old days!”   

User reviews of Clawee are mixed as of this writing:

• 1.8 out of 5.0 stars (from over 100 reviews) on Trustpilot.
• 4.3 out of 5.0 stars (from over 200,000 ratings) on Google Play.
• 4.7 out of 5.0 stars (from over 730,000 ratings) on the App Store.

Positive reviews praise the uniqueness of the app and say that they really enjoy their prizes. 

Negative reviews allege that the game is rigged (multiple reviewers say the claw machine grip weakens when real money is used versus free coins) and complain about shipping problems (specifically, prizes never arriving) as well as the quality of prizes. 

Reviewers also note that Clawee’s customer service is unhelpful, and several say that the company does not honor its “lifetime free shipping” membership, which was replaced with a monthly subscription model. 

On online forums like Reddit, people report varying experiences with Clawee. 

Some people say they’ve won prizes they’ve been very happy with through Clawee. 

One user writes:

“iv won well over 10 pokemon plushies from clawee all with keys the last one i won was a shockingly big lapras plush which even more shockingly only costed 7 bucks to ship instead of the usual 14 making it the cheapest prize iv won from them and like the 3rd or 4th cheapest prize iv won from any claw game.”

Others write that though they won prizes and paid for them to be shipped, they never arrived.

One user reports:

“Twice they canceled orders and I paid over $40 in shipping and all they’d do is give me <$5 in coins. Such trash.”

In its terms & conditions of use, Clawee says that it aims to ship prizes within up to 8 weeks, but it can’t guarantee timing. You also need to claim prizes within a specific timeframe (within one week for key-claimed prizes and within 14 days for coin-won prizes as of this writing). 

Clawee does not have a Better Business Bureau profile as of this writing.  

Clawee security 

In its privacy policy, Clawee briefly describes its security controls. 

It states that it uses “physical, technical, and administrative security measures” to protect your personal information. 

Clawee privacy

Clawee explains in its privacy policy the kind of data it collects, why, and with whom it shares it.

It states that it may collect the following information about you:

• Account information (e.g., email address, Google/Facebook account (optional), and for prize shipping, your full name, address, and phone number).
• Online identifiers (e.g., IP address, Advertising ID, and IDFA).
• Technical data (e.g., browser type, OS, device type, and approximate location (i.e., country)).
• Social media content, if you participate in Clawee’s campaigns.
• Third-party login data (e.g., Facebook profile info).

The company uses this data to run the app and your account, improve the service, ship prizes, send you marketing emails, and perform analytics. Plus, for advertising and security. 

Clawee shares data with service providers. It may also share it in cases of legal requirements, policy enforcement, corporate transactions, or with your consent. 

It may reuse social media posts for promotion if you participate in campaigns. 

In its terms & conditions of use, Claw also says that it may use your username/profile pic/game records/prizes publicly for promotions. If you submit photos/likeness, the company gets broad marketing rights (though it says you can request removal of photos you provided). 

The company uses cookies and SDKs from Facebook, Google Analytics, Google DoubleClick, Firebase, Crashlytics, Appsflyer, Braze, and Zendesk.

Data may be stored or processed outside your country (e.g., the U.S.).

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access your data, correct any inaccuracies you find, delete data, restrict or object to data processing, and withdraw consent. Additionally, you may have the right to data portability and to file complaints with authorities. 

Clawee keeps data only for as long as necessary for legal and business purposes, but may retain non-personal data indefinitely. 

The app does not respond to “Do Not Track” signals.

So, Should You Use Clawee?

Depends.

Clawee might be a good option if you’re okay spending money for fun and you don’t expect high-value prizes. 

It may not be the best choice if you’re trying to get good deals or if you’d be upset if a prize never arrives. 

How to Use Clawee Safely and Privately 

• Use a separate or masked email address. Create a separate email just for Clawee or use a masked email address to limit how your primary inbox and identity are linked to the service. If you’re a DeleteMe customer, you can use our masked email address. 
• Share only information that’s required. Some data may be optional, but still collected if provided.
• Don’t use social logins. This helps prevent sharing additional profile data and contacts with the app.
• Compare the prize value before paying for shipping. This helps you ensure the total cost is worth it.
• Claim prizes quickly. Submit shipping requests within the stated deadlines to avoid losing prizes you’ve won.
• Track the shipment and keep receipts. Save confirmation emails and payment records in case you need to dispute missing prizes or shipping charges.
• Use secure payment methods. Pay with a credit card or payment service that offers dispute protection in case prizes don’t arrive.
• Opt out of marketing. Unsubscribe from Clawee’s promotional emails and adjust ad preferences to reduce targeted marketing.
• Restrict cookie tracking. Block or delete non-essential cookies to limit analytics and advertising tracking (though note that some features may break).
• Turn off ad tracking on your device. This helps reduce cross-app tracking.
• Avoid posting photos or content in Clawee campaigns. The company may reuse them for promotional purposes.
• Review app permissions. Check and turn off any permissions the app doesn’t need to have (e.g., device identifiers or tracking) via your device settings.
• Exercise your data rights. Depending on where you live, you may be able to request access, correction, or deletion of your data.