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Below is an actual scam reply email purporting to be from the "National Lottery / Universal Crossings SA". And to appeal to the football / soccer fan among the potential victims, they add that you ALSO won a free ticket to the World Cup! Wow!
In addition to the usual clues, notice the gibberish writing. The sentences don't even make sense. Hardly what a professional (i.e., real) lottery would do. Note the other clues to an obvious fraud that we have highlighted in the letter; computer-selected "promotional" draw, use of free hotmail/yahoo email accounts, etc.
Also see these pages:
For scam company names that start with other letters, click on the letter:
A B C D E F G H I J-K L M N O P Q-R S T U-V W-X-Y-Z
national lottery < na_lotterza11@hotmail.com >
Sent: Wednesday, 03 of January of 2007 07:23:37 a.m.
Subject: YOU HAVE THEREFORE BEEN APPROVED TO CLAIM A TOTAL SUM OF US$ 2,100,000,00BID LOTTERY
JANUARY 2007
YOU ARE THE WINNER OF THE COMPUTER PROMOTIONAL DRAW
THIS MESSAGE IS FROM THE PROMOTION MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT, UNIVERSAL CROSSING SA
YOU HAVE WON ON THE COMPUTER BALLOT, THE SUM OF US$2 ,100,000,00 AND ALSO A FREE TICKET TO 2010 WORLDCUP HOSTING BY SOUTHAFRICA
PLEASE CONTACT
(MR.GABRIEL CARLOS)
YOUR CLAIM AGENT.
FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE PAYMENT ON PHONE NO. + 27-73-445-6744email: gcarlosza@hotmail.com
MR. GABRIEL CARLOS
UNIVERSAL LOTTERY SA,
Universal Building, 210-211
Park Hurst,Balfour-Unit 1440
JOHANNESBURG,GAUTENG 2001
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA.
TEL: +27- 73-445 67 44
Email: gcarlosza@hotmail.com;;;;..
Sincerely,
MR. MERVIN NKUMA
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
BID LOTTERY.
Universal Building, 210-211
Park Hurst,Balfour-Unit 1440
JOHANNESBURG,GAUTENG 2001
P.O. Box 91711,
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
The recipient "won" without buying a ticket (so where does the money come from?)
"For security reasons" you're not allowed to talk to anyone about it (especially the police or consumerfraudreporting.org!) - which ought to be odd since lotteries thrive on publicity!
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
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