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Sweepstakes Scam Email:
HOT LOTTO
"MR. WALTER MORGAN", "Mr Matthew Chuck"
Have you received an email from "MR. WALTER MORGAN" at "HOT LOTTO" telling you that "your
email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to
contact "Mr Matthew Chuck" 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!
Below is another example of a fake lottery; this email claims to
be from the "HOT LOTTO".
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 its own email, its own domain and website?
-
Keep Confidential - Real sweepstakes and lotteries THRIVE on
publicity - they don't want you to keep anything secret - the publicity
causes people to enter or buy more of their products. The scammer
want you to keep quiet because they don't want the police or ConsumerFraudreporting to hear about them!
Here is a typical scam sweepstakes winning notification.
Actual scam email (One example - the scammers constantly change
names, dates and addresses!):
HOT LOTTO.
Sir/Madam,
http://www.lotteryusa.com/lottery/HL/HLhotlotto_f10.html
CONGRATULATIONS:
YOU WON -$2.27 Million We are pleased to inform you of the result of
"Hot Ball: 14", which was
held on Sat Feb 17 '2007. Your e-mail address attached to e-ticket
number: 9, 10, 13,18, 29, with Prize Ref Number: PW 9590 ES 9414
drew a
prize of (TWO MILLION TWO
HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS). This lucky draw
came first in the 2nd Category of the Sweepstakes.
This sweepstake
was
conducted
under the watchful eyes of 8,000 spectators. Your e-mail address
attached to
e-ticket number 9, 10, 13, 18, 29, was selected and; it came out
first
by an
e-ballot draw from over 250,000 e-mail addresses (personal and
corporate e-mail
addresses).
In order to avoid unnecessary delays with your claim, You
are requested to contact your claims clearance officer Mr Matthew
Chuck, to
assist you with the processing of your winnings and subsequent
payments.
MR. Matthew Chuck
EMAIL: hotlotto02@yahoo.com.hk
NAME:
ADDRESS:
EMAIL:
COUNTRY:
PHONE NUMBER:
AGE:
OCCUPATION:
Congratulations.
Yours Faithfully,
MR. WALTER MORGAN.
Coordinator:
Names of Scam / Fake / Fraud Lottery
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery
scams companies
* 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.
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