Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
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Did you know that Yahoo has a lottery? And that they give away huge amounts of money to people simply for having "an active online email account"? This is news to Yahoo, too. If you received an email from "Sir Morgan Derek Jr" at "MSN & YAHOO LOTTORY INTL INC" telling you that "your email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to contact "Mr Robert Ray" to collect your winnings, it is a scam. Yahoo has never had any lottery (and we're pretty sure they never will). Yahoo certainly doesn't "collect email addresses" or selects winners "using a database of email addresses", or "from websites worldwide", or from "our computer ballot system". Each of those activities would be illegal in many countries, under existing privacy laws. Not to mention, it simply makes no sense for Yahoo to simply give away money. Real lotteries take in much more money than they give away, through ticket sales? Businesses are not lotteries - customers don't buy or use their products or services on the hope that the company will run a lottery for its customers. And it's just plain dumb to believe that!
The scammers may change the names and details, but it is still a scam! Don't be an complete imbecile!
Below is the example of the fake email scam (the email is the scam, not any persons or companies named in the email) claiming to be from the "MSN & YAHOO LOTTORY INTL INC".
Although the most important clue is that no legitimate lottery will ever email a winner, there are many other signs that this is a fraud. We have highlighted some of these in the email below, not the least of which are:
Yahoo does not have or sponsor any lottery.
Email address ballot: There is no such thing as a "computer ballot system" or "computer email draw". No one, not even Yahoo has a database of email addresses of the type or magnitude they suggest.
"No tickets were sold": You care to explain where the money comes from? Perhaps the lottery money fairy? Why would a lottery give away money to "email address randomly selected by a computer ballot draw system"? This is CLEARLY nonsense: you MUST, repeat MUST buy a ticket to have a chance of winning any lottery!
Terrible spelling, punctuation, syntax and grammar - Scammers apparently don't know how to use spell checkers. We assume they dropped out of school before that class. They use almost excessive and random CapItaLiZAtion. They often can't even spell "February" or know that "22th" ought to be "22nd". These scammers usually write at the 3rd grade level. Being non-native English speakers, they also often get first names and surnames (last names reversed), so you will frequently see names like "Mr. SMITH JAMES.", instead of "Mr. James Smith", along with the peculiar usage of periods (full stops) and spaces or the lack thereof. Real lotteries also proofread their emails and look and read more professional.
Using free email account: The scammer is writing to you from a FREE email account (Yahoo, Hotmail, Excite, AIM, Gmail, etc.) - often not even a Yahoo free account. Don't you think Yahoo would write from their own corporate address?
Keep Confidential - Real lotteries THRIVE on publicity - they don't want you to keep anything secret - the publicity causes people to buy more tickets. there is NO risk of "double claiming" because they can validate where the ticket numbers were sold. The scammer want you to keep quiet because they don't want the police or ConsumerFraudreporting to hear about them! It should read: "For our own security, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential until we have finished scamming you!"
Email notification: NO REAL LOTTERY SENDS AN EMAIL TO NOTIFY WINNERS. Period. Full-stop. End of story. There mere fact ALONE that you received an email saying you won a lottery is proof that it is a scam.
Here is a typical scam lottery winning notification.
From YAHOO LOTTERY PROMO Thu Mar 13 17:15:20 2008
Sender: goodchild@cavtel.net
From: "YAHOO LOTTERY PROMO" < lotteryclaimsagent02@yahoo.com.hk > Add Mobile Alert
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:15:20 -1200
YAHOO LOTTERY PROMO.
P O Box 1010 Liverpool, L70 1NL UNITED KINGDOM (Customer Services) Our Ref: CSF/TGD /March. /08 Your Ser: yah/5388/02 Draw Number: 31/6/2613357
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS ( lotteryclaimsagent02@yahoo.com.hk )
Dear, Sir/Madam
YAHOO LOTTERY WINNING NOTIFICATION
We happily announce to you the draw of the Yahoo Lottery Intl Inc programs held yesterday the 12th of March 2008 in London.
Your
e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5388/02 drew the lucky numbers:
31-6-2613357, which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category. You are therefore, been approved to claim a total sum of £650,000.00 (Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand British Pounds Sterling). for the month of March 2008 lottery win promotion which is organized by MSN & YAHOO LOTTORY INTL INC every month
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
You are advised to keep this winning very confidential until you receive your lump prize in your account. This is a protective measure to avoid double claiming by people that you may tell. For further Information about your Winnings,contact our Lottery Claims Agent with the following contact Address.
CLAIMS PROCESSING LOTTERY AGENT CONTACT INFORMATION Contact Person: Mr Robert Ray ( Winners Directorate Office ) Tel. ----+447024020446
+447045705607
Email: lotteryclaimsagent02@yahoo.com.hk
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS NEEDED BY YAHOO LOTTERY Name of Beneficiary:......................................
Mailing Address:..........................................
Beneficiary Phone Number:.................................
Nationality of beneficiary;...............................
Serial Number;............ 5388/02
Draw Lucky Numbers:....... 31-6-2613357
Lotto Number...............Lwh35447
Winning Number.............Lwh09788
NOTE: If you are under the age of 18, you are automatically disqualified for this star prize. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS ( lotteryclaimsagent02@yahoo.com.hk )
Yours faithfully,
Sir Morgan Derek Jr.
Online coordinator for yahoo lottery Sweepstakes International Program 2008
N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualification. Contact your claims agent whose contact details are stated above
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
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