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Example of Scam Promotions - Winnings That Aren' There!

Promotions and Prize Scams - How to Protect Yourself

Directory of Sample Promotions Scam Emails

This page identifies and provides links to many actual examples of promotions scam emails. Real promo's are done to promote a product or service, and cost the company, so the prizes are usually not huge.

Remember, just because you don't see an exact copy of the email you receive in the samples list below or it isn't in this list of scam promotions, lottery and sweepstakes names does not make it legitimate. The scammers constantly change the names and the content of the letters. However, if the letter you received is similar to one below, you will know it IS a scam!

Here are some of the more common clues that you will see in scams:

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 random CapItaLiZAtion and often can't even spell "February" or know that "22th" ought to be "22nd". These scammers usually write at the 3rd grade level.
Using free email account: The scammer is writing to you from a FREE email account (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.). Don't you think a real organization would use its own email, its own domain and website? Wouldn't they want to promote that?
What are they promoting? No one promotes "world peace" or "use of the internet" by handing out millions to random strangers. And if they are promoting a product, then this must be the world's worst promotion, because no one has heard of it, outside of the email you just received.
Pay a fee to collect the prize: Nope, it is illegal for free sweepstakes and promotions to charge you ANYTHING! Of course, in a scam, that is the whole point: to get you to send money to the scammer.

Directory of Sample promotions Scams - Sample Emails and Explanations

The names used in the scams are ones the scammers have used in the past, but it could be ANY name - they simply make them up!

ACCULOTTO ONLINE INTERNATIONAL E-MAIL LOTTERY - "Roben Gween", "Dr Allan Smith"
Australia International Lottery - "Alice Henry", "Charles Martins"
the Australian Lottery - "Dr Arnold Jammie", "MRS ALICE HENRY"
Belove Internet Lottery Promotions International - "Mrs.JULIET ANDERSON", "Mr.SMITH JAMES"
Bentley (Automobile company?)- "Linda, Regional cordinator ", "Mr. Robert West"
BMW Automobiles, This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash prize of 450,XXX (edited) and a brand new BMW 5 Series Car from International programs held on from Mr Moore Rogie or Mr. Frank Williams
BMW: The Promotion Department BMW Automobiles - "This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash Price of �250,000.00 (two hundred and fifty thousand Great British Pounds) and a brand new BMW 120i Series Car"
The Promotion Department BMW Automobiles - This is to inform you that you have been selected for a prize of a brand new YEAR: 2006, MODEL: 550i M Sport Saloon Car
The Promotion Department BMW Automobiles - This is to inform you that you have been selected for a prize of a Brand New BMW 7 Series 2007 Saloon Car
from Mrs. Lisa Jefferson or Sir. Tony Ray
British Internatonal E-Lottery Promotion Sweepstakes
BRITISH INT'L E- LOTTERY PROMOTION - "Mr. Knight Anderson", "Michael Fredrick"
BRITISH TOBACCO ONLINE PROMO - "KAREN PETERSON", "Mr. ALBERT GREGORY"
Coca-Cola Lottery Winner's Results Announced - with American Tobacco Worldwide Promotion
Coca Cola - "Mr ANTHONY CAMPBELL", "Mr.Vendrich Anderson" "This is to inform you that have been selected for a cash prize of $"
Coca Cola / Ipod - "Management", "Mrs Alice Campbell" "to enhance awareness and publicity of the Coca-Cola Zero product"
The Coca Cola Company, "Dr. William Ford", "Mr.Morrison Elliot"
CONTINENTAL GAMES LOTTERY
EUROPEAN SWEEPSTAKES PROMOTION
1. Reply from "EUROPEAN SWEEPSTAKES PROMOTION" - "Mr Sott Hales", "Mrs Evelyn Micheal"
FREE LOTTO PROMO - Lottery Winners International - "Simon Lee"
Free Lotto Sweepstakes Experimental Bonanza - "Mrs Sonia Francisco", "soniafrancisco1@sify.com"
Global e-Lotteries - Global eLottery Promotions, "Dr Derick Morgan" and "Dr McGuire"
Global Promo - "Zack Sonnie", "Mrs TERESA M. PABLO"
GoogleUK Cash Give-Aways, "Farrow Smith", "Mr.Stanford Walters of Swift Express Service Couriers"
GRAND NATIONAL LOTTERY Promotion
HEINEKEN WEBSTORE/DRAUGHT MONTHLY PROGRAMME - "Mr.Caroline Neill", "Larry Kevin"
HEINEKEN N.V ANNUAL SWEEPSTAKE PROGRAMME - "KATE BLUE", "Michael Woodgate
Honda Company UK - "(MRS.) ANGELLA RICHARDSON", "MR RICHARD OLSEN"
Irish National Lottery - "Dr Mark Omera"
LIBERTY SPORT LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL With Microsoft, Erika Overmars, PAUL WAYNE OF CRYSTAL AGENCY BV
MasterCard / Visa Award Promotion, "Mr.Martins Douglas", "British Airways Courier"
MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNINGS PROGRAMS, CHARITIES LOTTERY PROMOTIONS, Mark Forrester, Elizabeth Walter
Mercedes-Benz Car and money give-away
MICROSOFT E-MAIL LOTTERY PROMOTION AWARD - MONICA SHAGAYA, Alan Stubs
MICROSOFT E-MAIL LOTTERY PROMOTION AWARD - Version 2 - MONICA SHAGAYA, Mr. Martins Coleman
Microsoft Award Team - "The prestigious Microsoft and AOL..."
Microsoft Award Team - Roben Gween, MR Martin Philips - If you fell for this scam, please shoot yourself now
Microsoft Award Team - Mr. Stan Willis, Mr. Fletcher Class - What lottery would write: "If you ignore this, you will regret it later"?
MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY PROMOTIONS - "MRS ELINA POWELLS", "Mike Woods"
MICROSOFT WINNING NOTIFICATION - "MR HERLEY PETTERSON, EURO AFRO-ASIAN ZONAL CO-ORDINATOR", "DR JOHANS VIDIC"
Mother Theresa Random Promotions - Ketty Wood, Alex Cole
Msn Quarterly Millions Promotional Bonus - "Theresa Taylor", "Jerry Mills"
Nacional Bono Loteria International - "Juana Terra", "AMADO BENJAMIN"
NL National Lotto/International Promotions - Mr.Van Gogh, Angela Jones
NL National Lotto/International Promotions - "Mr.Van Gogh", "Christina Eckwright"
NL National Lotto/International Promotions - "Mr.Van Gogh", "Laroche Ickenroth"
PEPSI NEW YEAR AWARD - "Rhonda Williams", "Mr. Vanden MacAlister"
THE PEPSI CONSUMER PROMOTION, "Mr. Vanden MacAlister", "Mr. Anthonio Roberts"
PEUGEOT AUTOMOBILES LOTTERY, "Mr. Ben Richard", "Mr.Smith Brown, (peugeotverificationboard@hotmail.com)"
Peugeot Automobiles Lottery - "Dominic Gerard", "Sir Paul Wilson"
Peugeot Automobiles Lottery - version 2 - "Mr. Paul Wilson", mr_paulwilson08@sify.com
Power Ball Lottery Promo - "Peter Newton(Mr)"
Presidential Library & Museum, Attention: Dear Prominent User Of The Internet, "Mrs. Deborah� L. Spencer", "Mr. Thomas Hegland"
PROTEA WINNERS ORGANIZATION LOTTERY SOUTH AFRICA - "MRS STEPHANIE NKOSI", "DR NELSON SMITH"
Royal Dutch Shell plc, "Shell Group International", "EDWARD L. GUTI"
Royal Spainish Sweepstake Lottery Email Promotional Program - "Wilfred Alberto", "DR.RICHARD ANTONIO"
S.A. 2010�WORLD� CUP��PROMOTION - "President Nelson Mandela", "MR.OWEN DOUGLAS"
Samsung Electronics Lottery / Lotteria, "Mrs. Litza Martinez", "Dr. Owen Briggs"
Shell Lottery Promo - "Jeroen van der Veer", "Harrison Cox"
Suzuki Lotto, "Juanita Ramirez (Mrs.) ", "MR J G S GOMEZ.ADAS"
Toyota Car Promotions, and/or FIRST FLIGHT DELIVERY PARCEL COMPANY, "Kelly Wolferson", "Thomas Andersson"
TRIPPLE WINS INTERNATIONAL GAMES - "Williams Chester, Mrs. Cherry Rings"
UK Mega Jackpot Lottery Promotion - "Sir. Henry Hills", "Mr. Gregory Carter"
Visa Credit Card Lottery Promotions, "Mr. Dylan Rhys", "dylan.rhys@sbcglobal.net"
Volkswagon: The Lottery Department of Volkswagen Automobiles - "Mrs Rose Hills", "Mr. Allen Roger
Yahoo Beta promo or Swift Card Payment, Dr Emma Rothschild, Jim Koijam,
This is to inform you that your mail and contact address was noted to my office in respect to your ATM Card payment for this month Yahoo Beta promo, which was approved by the board of directors
YAHOO! International Promotions Program - "Mrs.Amelia Hunts", "Kennedy Spencer"
YAHOO! International Promotions Program - "Merrill-Janet Briggs", "Mr David Warner"