Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
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Have you received an email from "MRS: TESSY ANDERSON" at "Euro Millions International" telling you that "your email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to contact "Mr. Sand Crotch" to collect your winnings? It is a scam. The names alone ought to tell you that! "Mrs:" (incorrect punctuation) and "Mr. Sand Crotch" (a 15 year old scammer probably thought that one up). In any case, No legitimate, legal lottery notifies winners vian email (see footnote) The scammers may change the names and details, but it is still a scam!
Below is another example of a fake lottery; this email claims to be from the "Euro Millions International".
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:
Email address ballot: There is no such thing as a "computer ballot system" or "computer email draw". No one, not even Microsoft has a database of email addresses of the type or magnitude they suggest.
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.). Don't you think a real organization would use it's own email, it's own domain and website?
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.
EURO MILLIONS INTERNATIONAL
175 WOODHILL ROAD, BULKYARD, LONDON,
UNITED KINGDOM
FROM: THE DESK OF THE CYBER ANALYST,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT.
REF: OYL /26510460037/07
BATCH: 24/00319/IPD
Dear Winner,
Your ticket number: 023-0148-790-459 with Serial number 5368/05 drew the lucky number: 29
Congratulations, you have just won yourself Five Hundred Thousand Pounds (£500,000) in the satellite software email lottery conducted by EURO MILLIONS in which e-mail addresses are picked randomly by software powered by the Internet. Your email address was amongst those chosen this quarter and you are to contact our Financial Controller for Clearance. Here are the contact info:
Financial controller:
Mr. Sand Crotch
Email: elotteryclaim_dept00@yahoo.co.uk
you are to forward the following details to enable us clear your file for immediate payment:
1. Full Names: _______________________
2. Address: __________________________
3. Age: _____________________________
4. Sex: ______________________________
5. Marital Status: _____________________
6. Occupation: ________________________
7. Phone numbers: ______________________
8. Fax number: ________________________
9. Country: ___________________________
Yours faithfully,
MRS: TESSY ANDERSON
EURO MILLION CYBER ANALYST
UNITED KINGDOM.
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
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