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. Lucy Beckenbauer" at "Vodafone Online Draws" telling you that "your email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to contact "FUDICIARY AGENT: Mr. Niklas Flippo (Rev.)" to collect your winnings? It is a scam. They want you to "keep this award strictly from public notice" that's a heck of a good promotion, isn't it? And how about a "fudiciary agent" (odd, how that word isn't in any dictionary) is also a man of the cloth! I guess you better trust him!
If you do, you are an idiot and will soon be a victim with less in your wallet.
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 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 "Vodafone Online Draws".
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.
"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.). 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.
From: VODAFONE ONLNE DRAWS [ info@vodafone.co.uk ]
Date: 09/01/2008 12:24
Reply-to: vodafonefudiciaryconsultant@gmail.com
Subject: READ:WINNING NOTIFICATION(lucky numbers 21-7-14-04-19-34)
Customer Service and Logistic Department.
Reference No:FL/668530092
Batch No: 452006/14/FIFA06/FL.
We gladly wish to inform you of the draws held on the 1st January,
2008 by the VODAFONE ONLINE PROMOTION INTERNATIONAL in conjunction with the National Organizing Committee of the 2007/2008 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.
However, your e-mail address assigned to E-Tag number 193.45.24.02 in the Random Computer Selection System(RCSS) of email addreses, flagged outthe lucky numbers 21-7-14-04-19-34 and consequently won you the lottery in the 1st category.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Please be informed that all participants in this Vodafone promotion program were selected randomly through a computer ballot system drawn from over 500,000 companies and 50,000,000 individual e-mail addresses.
This Vodafone promotion is Organized by the host country incollaboration with FIFA. Funds for the draws have been contributed by the major sponsors of the games which include adidas, Hyundai, FujiFilm, MasterCard, Gillette, Cocacola, Continental,Toshiba,Mcdonalds and a host of others.
Due to possible mix up of some numbers and email contacts, we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by some participants of this program. With respect to the above, you have therefore been approved for payment of a lump sum of Two Million Great Britian Pounds, (£2,000,000.00 GBP) in certified cheque credited to File No:LP/26510460037/02.
This is from a total cash prize of Two hundred million pounds(£200,000,000.00 GBP) shared among the ten international winners in the 1st category. Along with (A FIRST CATEGORY RAFFLE DRAW TICKET) To begin the claim processing of your prize you are to contact the claims agent with the form below, You are required to fill this form to facilitate the processing of your claims which will lead to the payment of your prize to you as required.
PAYMENT RELEASE ORDER FORM
1. Full Names:
2. Address:
3. Age:
4. Sex:
5. Marital Status:
6. Occupation:
7. Phone numbers:
8. Nationality:
9.Country of Residence:
FUDICIARY AGENT: Mr. Niklas Flippo (Rev.)
Email: vodafonefudiciaryconsultant@hotmail.com
Goodluck from me and members of staff of the VODAFONE ONLINE PROMOTION INTERNATIONAL.
NOTE:Failure to claim your prize award withing 10 days of our notifiation to you. You will be disqualified.
Best Regards,
Mrs. Lucy Beckenbauer
(Lottery Co-Ordinator)
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
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