Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
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"Free Lotto Sweepstakes". What a great name for a scammer to use: simple, generic and appeals to greedy fools everywhere. Of course, it is a scam. There's no such thing as a FREE lotto or lottery. Think about it! Where would their money to give away come from and why? There are many other signs that this is a fraud, not the least of which is that no legitimate lottery uses email to notify its winners!
And a legitimate lottery certainly would not use free hotmail, yahoo, elitist, or aim email accounts.
In addition to the usual clues, notice the gibberish writing, excessive/incorrect use of CAPITAL letters, lack of decent punctuation.. The sentences don't even make sense. Hardly what a professional (i.e., real) lottery would do. Note the other clues to an obvious fraud that we have highlighted in the letter; keep confidential, selected by a random computer lottery of email addresses, use of free email accounts, etc.
Here is a typical scam lottery winning notification.
Also see this page for a sample in the UK.
-----Original Message-----
From: FREE LOTTERY SWEEPSTAKE [mailto:davidbmarks@adelphia.net]
Sent: 07 February 2007 14:52
Subject: congratulation you have won ..500,000.00 POUNDS
The Free Lotto Sweepstakes,
PO Box 42 Peter borough
SE15 2UD
UNITED KINGDOM
Ref No: MELI-T/ 17-F044262312
Batch No:901/00319/HLP
Zonal Draw No: GMLA2-003
Grand Draw No: 12099
Dear Sir/Madam
Congratulations from the Staffs and members of the Free Lotto Sweepstakes as we kindly bring to your notice on your winnings at our last promotional sweepstakes programme held 2nd February,2007 when your email was selected from an initial amount of 300,000 email addresses which made you a winner of the sum of £500.000.00(G.B.P).Your email address was among the six email addresses selected at the draw and your email address attached to the reference number MELI-T/ 17-F044262312.
Inother to file for your claim,you are required to contact our claims department head by filling completely the form below:
PAYMENT PROCESSING FORM
1.FULL NAMES:__________________________________
2.ADDRESS:_____________________________________________
3.SEX:_______________
4.AGE:________
5.MARITAL STATUS:___________________
6.OCCUPATION:________________________
7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:_____________________________
8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:_____________________
9.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL___________
10.AMOUNT WON:___________________________________
11. COUNTRY________________________________
After completely filling the form,you are expected to contact the claims department head officer with it via the details below for payment processing.
Name: Mr. Stephen Mario
Email address: freelotteryclaimagent01@yahoo.co.uk
Upon the presentation of the requested datas,he will inform you about the payment office you are to contact for immediate payment.
Note that you are automatically disqualified if you are below 18 years of age and illegal dissemination of this mail is highly prohibited.
Congratulations once more.
Sincerely,
Greg Smith
On line Coordinator
Free Lotto Sweepstakes
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
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