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 "Mr Mason Ryan" at "ACCULOTTO ONLINE INTERNATIONAL E-MAIL LOTTERY" telling you that "your winnings claims have been verified by this office" or something similar, and to contact "masonryan_agent@yahoo.com.hk" to collect your winnings? It is a scam. 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 "ACCULOTTO ONLINE INTERNATIONAL E-MAIL LOTTERY".
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.
Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2007 08:00:42 +0800 (CST)
From: "MASON RYAN" <masonryan_agent@yahoo.com.hk>
Subject: YOUR LOTTERY MONEY HAS BEEN SENT TO YOUYOUR LOTTERY MONEY HAS BEEN SENT TO YOU
ACCULOTTO ONLINE INTERNATIONAL E-MAIL LOTTERY
1-3 Leinster Gardens, London W2 6DP London
FROM: THE PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR (PAYMENT AND DESPATCH DEPT.)Dear Joe Gullible,
How are you today?
My name is Mr Mason Ryan, (operations manager of Dispatch and payment Department) of the ACCULOTTO ONLINE INTERNATIONAL E-MAIL LOTTERY, and I get paid to make sure you get your winnings without any problems.
I want to congratulate you because your winnings claims have been verified by this office, you have won the sum of $1.1 million Dolloars (One million,One Hundred housand Dollars).As I write to you today your package which includes your winning certificate, a cheque worth $1.1 million Dolloars payable to your name and an a four page document which covers money laundering has been taken to the post office to be sent to you.
You will receive the package within the next few days and as soon as that is done you can take your cheque to any bank of your choice and have your money cashed. As part of our operational policy, we try to make everything easy for our winners and I do hope that when you get your winnings you will not fail to partake in our subsequent ticket lottery programme.
Please do let me know when your package is received and your money cashed so that I in turn can report to the lottery organizers.
I hope to hear from you as soon as your get your package.
Mr Mason Ryan
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
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