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.James Dytor" at "Lähettäjä: Power Lotto NL" telling you that "your email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to contact them with the attached form 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 "Lähettäjä: Power Lotto NL".
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. Names are usually in all capital letters for some reason known only to these illiterate criminals. 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.
Lottery Results (claim Processing form)‏
Lähettäjä: Power Lotto NL. (powerlotto@games.com)
Lähetetty: 25. maaliskuuta 2008 23:12:46
Vast.ott.: kari anttila (kariarctic@hotmail.com)
Tietoturvatarkistus lataamisen yhteydessä
Claim_Pro...pdf (40,8 kt)
Attn:Kari Juhani Anttila, Congratulations from members of our staff. We acknowledge the receipt ofyour email with request to file for your winning prize. We write toclarify and explain our mode of service that we render to client onlottery claim related issue. Your claim processing requires the following; 1. You are to provide us with a valid identification documents provingyou have attained the eligible age of 18 years and above,otherwise your winnings will be cancelled immediately. 2. Upon certification that you are eligible your form will beprocessed. The form should be properly filled because it will bescreened of discrepancy. 3. A file will be opened for you by the legal department uponcertification that the information you provided in your duly filled formare true and correct. 4. We deem it absolutely necessary to let you know that there isAdministration cost, which is2,000.00euros, (Two Thousand Euros Only) the fee will enable our Legaldepartment to file for your notarisation and document files. You will beupdated on how you will make the payment. 5. Be informed that it is impossible to deduct from your winning. Thecompletion of your claim processing, notarised and document files thatwill effect swift transferring of your fund shall be forwarded to thepaying bank. 6. You are to download & fill out the (CLAIM PROCESSING FORM) attachedto this mail to enable us commerce the processing of your winning (FUND)and return via e-mail attachment to our office. 7. On receipt of your response to this mail a (PAYMENT SCHEME FORM)will be send to you to fill; this will effect the swift transferring ofyour (FUND) to your desired bank account. The paying bank will contactyou prior to transferring of your fund to your nominated bank account. Do note that your Price winning (FUND) must be claimed beforeexpiration date. Congratulations in advance, Sincerely Yours, Mr.James Dytor
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 used their safegaurds.
* 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.