Have you received an email from "Dr. (Mrs.) Mercy Martins" at "Yahoo Awards Center" telling you that "your
email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to
contact "Mr. George Miller or Stella Beamer (admin)" to collect your winnings? It is a
scam. No legitimate, legal lottery notifies winners via email (see footnote) The scammers may
change the names and details, but it is still a scam! First, Yahoo does not have
a lottery nor an "Awards Center". Second they won't notify you by email.
Third, you wouldn't have to pay any "fees" to receive your winnings. Finally, we
doubt whether they would write to winners from competitors email (gmail,
hotmail, etc.)!
Below is the example of the fake lottery scam claiming to
be from the "Yahoo Awards Center".
From: yaho_ awarrd157 <
yaho_awarrd157@hotmail.co.uk >
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 6:59:44 AM
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS YAHOO AWARD WINNER.
Yahoo Awards Center
124 Stockport Road, Longsight, Manchester M60
2DB - United Kingdom
This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of
Eight Hundred,Twenty Thousand Great Britain Pounds (£820,000,00.) for the month
of December, 2007 Prize promotion which is organized by YAHOO AWARDS &
WINDOWS LIVE.
YAHOO collects all the email addresses of the people
that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to Yahoo and Hotmail
and few from other e-mail providers. Six people are selected monthly to benefit
from this promotion and you are one of the Selected Winners.
PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM.
Winners shall be paid in accordance with his/her
Settlement Centre. Yahoo Prize Award must be claimed no later than 28th January
2008, from date of Draw Notification. Any prize not claimed within this period
will be forfeited.
Stated below are your identification numbers:
BATCH NUMBER: MFI/06/APA-43658
REFERENCE NUMBER: 2006234522
PIN: 1206
Winning Number:
These numbers fall within the England Location file, you
are requested to contact our fiduciary agent in Manchester and send your
winning identification numbers to him;
Agent Name: Mr. George Miller.
EMail:
georgemilleragency444@gmail.com
Tel: +44 703 184 6239.
+44 703 184 6146.
You are advised to send the following information to
your Claims Agent to facilitate the release of of your fund to you.
1. Full name...............................
2. Country..................................
3. Contact Address.....................
4. Telephone Number.................
5. fax Number............................
5. Marital Status.........................
6. Occupation.............................
7. My Date of birth......................
8. Sex.................................
9.Batch Number.................................
10.Reference Number.................................
11.Pin Number................................
12. Winning Number................................
13.Amount Won................................
Congratulations!! once again.
Yours in service,
Dr. (Mrs.) Mercy Martins
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WARNING!
Do not tell people about your Prize Award until your
money is successfully handed over to you to avoid disqualification that may
arise from double claim.
You may also receive similar e-mails from people
potraying to be other Organizations or Yahoo Inc. This is solely to collect your
personal information from you and lay claim over your winning. In event that you
receive any e-mail similar to the notification letter that was sent to you,
Kindly delete it from your mail box and give no further correspondence to such
person or body.
Yahoo shall not be held responsible for any loss of fund
arising from the above mentioned.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Messenger on the move. Text MSN to 63463 now!
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: george milleragency444
< georgemilleragency444@gmail.com >
Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2007 11:23:27 AM
Subject: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT LETTER WITH CLAIMING
INSTRUCTIONS.
YAHOO AWARD CENTER.
Consumer Affairs Section.
124 Stockport, Long sight Manchester.
M60 2DB United Kingdom.
From The office of: The Claim Agent
Processing Manager: Mr. George Miller
Attn,John Doe
We are happy to inform you that we have received your
complete details and information, which has also been forwarded to the bank in
London United Kingdom.
For the processing of the fund approval and subsequent
transfer to you're yet to be nominated bank account.
Meanwhile I have been instructed to inform you that you
can either collect your prize in person that is you can come to UK (London) and
visit our Issuing Bank or it can be sent to your Bank Account through key
telegraphic transfer (KTT) which will reach your account within 72 hrs from the
date of transfer but for this you Will need a clearance from the British
Ministry of Finance (EXCHANGE CONTROL DEPT.) as you will be receiving your fees
in a foreign currency, and AFFIDAVIT which will show that you don't have any bad
record whatsoever in Britain or in your country this can be obtained by swearing
an affidavit on your name at the high court here which will be used to obtain
the Clearance certificate and your Lottery winning certificate which is needed
and the only documents needed for your transfer to be effected.
Since you have been allocated to me to assist you, it is
my duty to make sure that you receive this claim because if you don't redeem it
before the stipulated date of redemption it will be declared null and void and
this money will be sent to charity. So if you have to come in person you have to
prepare and make sure you are here in UK (London) before the stipulated
redemption date, but if you want an Attorney to swear the affidavit on your name
to get the clearance you will have to pay for the fees to swear the affidavit
which will be used to obtain the clearance needed to facilitate the transfer of
your claim, this is what I did for other prize winners who was not able to come
down to UK (London)
Your urgent response is needed.
Congratulations!
Thanks and best regards,
Mrs. Stella Beamer (Admin Secretary)
For Mr. George Miller.
Tel No: +44 703 186 2126
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: george milleragency444
< georgemilleragency444@gmail.com >
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 12:05:15 AM
Subject: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT LETTER WITH CLAIMING
INSTRUCTIONS.
Dear John Doe
As it is impossible for you to be in London to collect
your prize in person, you have to get an Attorney here in London that will help
you obtain the Clearance of Affidavit Certificate from the high court London.
Since your fund is insured under insurance policy, which means no one, has the
right to deduct any Cent from your fund until it is finally transferred to you.
The Clearance Of Affidavit Certificate will make your
transfer to be effective through Key Telegraphic Transfer (KTT). Meanwhile you
are advised to pay the attorney fee so that he can obtain the affidavit for you.
An affidavit will obtain here in London not in your country.
A copy of the affidavit will send to you by the
Attorney and a copy to our paying for the conclusion of your of transfer. I am
sorry we don't allow relations of friend to pick up prize because of double
claim, if you want the prize in US$ is possible but the amount you receive is
1.8million dollars.
The fee is £793.00 remembers you have to follow my
instruction as your agent. Meanwhile you have 72hrs to receive your fund if you
pay the fee. Send the control number to me.
You can only send the fee through
Western Union Money
Transfer. and the receiver of the fee is our
Accountant Mr. Grant.
PAYMENT INFORMATION.
Name Mr. James Grant.
Address 124 Stock Port Road, Long sight Manchester.
M60 2DB United Kingdom.
Amount, 793.00GBP=US$1,584.00
Thanks and best regards,
Mrs. Stella Beamer (Admin Secretary)
For Mr. George Miller.
Tel No: +44 703 186 2126
* Re: emails of winnings. We know of only ONE exception in the world to this rule
- and if you bought a ticket from them, you would know it, and would not be
questioning it.
