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 John Jeftha" at "MICROSOFT OFFICE UK" telling you that "your email address won WINDOS VISTA LAUNCH BONANZA WINNER" or something similar, and to contact "NET DESPATCH COURIER SERVICE LTD" 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 "MICROSOFT OFFICE UK".
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 THE DESK OF:
MICROSOFT OFFICE UK
(NASDAQ GS: MSFT)
BALEY HOUSE, HOUSE HAR ROAD
SUTTON AREA 1, GREAT BRITAIN
LONDON SMT 4TE UNITED KINGDOM.TEL: +(44) 703-189-6556
FAX: +(44) 705-448-3014
WINDOS VISTA LAUNCH BONANZA WINNER
PAYMENT APPROVAL NOTICE
Dear Winner
Your email is received and the contents noted.To proceed on the processing of your winnings, You are to contact net despatch courier our affiliate courier service for courier delivery of your winning cheque Find below the contact information.You are also adviced to follow up the emails with phone calls. You would also be awarded your lottery winning certificate when you meet up the courier requirements.
Contact Net despatch couirer service ltd with a scanned copy of a form of identification of yourself like your international passport or drivers license .Find below the contact details :
Discharge officer: Mr. Ray Terry
EMAIL: customerservice_netdespatch@yahoo.co.uk
Address: 8th floor, sea container house 20 upper grounds, EC4A2BB London, UK
TEL: +44 704 571 4437
FAX: + 44 44 845 280 0391
NOTE: You shall be totally responsible for the courier delivery charges and Services rendered by NET DESPATCH COURIER SERVICE LTD is to be paid by you and not the lottery board as the case may be.
Congratulations once again.
Regards,
Mr John Jeftha
Phone: +44 703 189 6556
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.