DO NOT reply to any emails you receive that claim you have won a lottery that
you did not enter. They are frauds. You will lose your money.
There is no "free lunch"; don't be foolish and believe a scam! We can not
say it any more plainly: YOU WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL BY ANY
LEGITIMATE LOTTERY THAT YOU WON A PRIZE. If you do receive such an email,
it IS a fraud, do not reply to it! If you DID reply to one,
see this page to find out
what happens next!
In the UK, call the hotline at 020 7211 8111 to check or report lottery 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. Your email address cannot ever "win" you a 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 random
CapItaLiZAtion and often can't even spell "February" or know that "22th" ought to
be "22nd". Real lotteries proofread their emails and use people
who can write above the 3rd grade level.
-
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 its own email, its 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!
-
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.
-
Courier / delivery charges are high due to Hardcover insurance Policy
- If you respond to them, you will usually receive an email telling you you
must pay delivery charges. First, as we mentioned earlier, no winner would ever have to pay delivery
charges in a real lottery, sweepstakes or promotion. Secondly, there
is no such thing as "hardcover insurance policies" . Go search in Google and
see if you can find a definition for it!
From: "Richard Reichlin" <
gtl-paymaster@swissmail.org >
Subject: Your Check is Ready
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:24:18 +0200
ATTENTION: Maria Sosa.
Dear Madam,
The National Lottery limited has issued a certified
bank draft in your favor and it is in our possession ready for delivery to
you (see the attached file a scanned copy/sample of the bank draft).
CAUTION! For sighting only! DO NOT PRESENT DRAFT
FOR CLEARING! Draft shall be validated and activated at the instance of its
dispatch for delivery.
Obviously, Since the lottery company has cut the
check in the total value of your winning, you will have to bear the cost of
delivering the check; there can be no deduction from the amount issued as
the bank draft, and we have no power to make such deduction. You are
advised, as a matter of urgency, to indicate your choice from the options of
the delivery of your bank draft listed below, to enable us dispatch it as
quick as possible to you through our accredited courier agency that
undertakes all courier services and the delivery of checks to all lottery
winners processed by us.
The options for the delivery of your winning bank
draft:
Category A: First Class (Expedited) Delivery ===
Within 48 hours==US$1.021.00.
Category B: Regular delivery === Within 72
hours=== US$519.00.
Category C: Economy Delivery === Within 5 Working
Days === US$389.00.
You are required to indicate the category of your
choice,and forward its cost to this office, through
Western Union Money
Transfer, using the information below:
BENEFICIARY: HILARY SCOTT.
BENEFICIARY ADDRESS: 8 CANADA SQUARE,
LONDON E14 5HQ.
TELEPHONE #: +44 702 896 2808.
TEST QUESTION: CODE.
TEST ANSWER: AUTHORIZATION.
The Remittance Instruction Form, containing the
Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN), for the prescribed payment shall
contain the correct and precise account particulars as above stated. NO
OTHER INFORMATION SHALL, AT THE PAYER?S DISCRETION, BE INCLUDED OR DEDUCTED
WHATSOEVER TO THE ACCOUNT DETAILS GIVEN ABOVE. ANY DISREGARD OF THIS NOTE
OF CAUTION SHALL RESULT IN THE AUTOMATIC NON-ACCEPTANCE OF THE FUNDS AND
SHALL BE RETURNED, SUMMARILY TO THE PAYER/ACCOUNT FROM WHICH THE FUNDS WERE
REMITTED.
Upon remittance, the payer shall thereafter be
liable to submit to this Office by fax on 44-7006-098-539, Two (2) copies
of the Western Union Money Transfer Payment Instruction Form or by scanned
email attachment to
gtl-paymaster@swissmail.org
Please be informed and treat as serious.
Thank you, and congratulation in advance.
Yours faithfully,
Richard Reichlin.
