Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
There are affiliate links on this page.
Read our disclosure policy to learn more.
Translate this page to any language by choosing a language in the box below.
Did you receive a letter or email from "Mr Moore Rogie" saying you won a new BMW and to contact "Mr. Frank Williams"? This scam attempt is so pathetic. It's the old fake promotion scam, in which a new BMW is given away to someone, from a "random selection in our computerised email selection system from a database of over 250,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world"... and you, we and no one we know has ever heard of this promotion. You'd think that if a luxury car manufacturer started a promotion give away cars, we'd hear of it? After all, isn't that the point of a promotion, publicity.
Well, it is a moot point, as there is no Mr Moore Rogie or Mr. Frank Williams. And isn't it just a bit odd, that "Mr Moore Rogie" signs her name "Carl A. Harrison" and chooses to have a photo of her in a cocktail dress at a party on a business email?
This is a very simple scam. They claim you won a promotion, which is giving away millions of dollars based on a randomly selected email address. The scam is obvious: it's simply preposterous to think that any company would randomly give away money to encourage you to buy lottery tickets. That would be self-defeating.
Although the most important clue is that no legitimate lottery, and almost no legitimate sweepstakes or promotions will 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 "computerised email selection system". 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 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.
Using free email account: The scammer is writing to you from a FREE email account (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.). Don't you think that BMW has its own website and domain for email (example SirTonyRay@BMW.com) and would use its own email, its own domain and website? Wouldn't they want to promote that?
What are they promoting? Pause fopr just a moment to consider, how would randomly giving away a new BMW to someone, simply because they have an email address, help to sell BMW's or create publicity? It wouldn't. In fact, it might be one of the dumbest ideas going, since to be eligible you don't even have to have a driver's license or even visit a BMW showroom!
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.
Did you notice that "LINCS" (Lincolnshire) is now a borough of London? That might be of interest to more than a few people in the East Midlands...
It is a typical scam sweepstakes winning notification. Also see these pages:
Subject: BMW AUTOMOBILE AWARD NOTIFICATION (Tel+447045733776)
From: "THE BMW AUTOMOBILE PROMOTION"
To: undisclosed-recipients, :
Subject: BMW AUTOMOBILE AWARD NOTIFICATION (Tel+447045733776)
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:26:33 +0800 (CST)
THE BMW AUTOMOBILE PROMOTION
DEPARTMENT CONGRATULATE YOU
22 Garden Close, PE9 2YP, London
Dear Winner,
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 the 05th Feb. 2008 in
London Uk. The selection process was carried out
through random selection in our computerized
email selection system (ess) from a database.You are to contact our
fiduciary claims department:
Mr. Frank Williams Email:
bmwdeliverydept012@hotmail.com
Phone numbers:+447045733776 Contact him with your Reference Number
BMW:2551256003/23, secret pin
code x7pwyz2007 for more information as regards procedures to claim
your prize. Contact him by sending him with the
under listed information's.
Name___________________
Telephone Number_______________
Residential Address_____________
Marital Status___________________
Occupation________________
Age_______________
Country________________
You are to choose from the below Option .which the company will
delivery winning parcel to you.
1: COURIER: NOTE: For courier you are to pay for insurance charges only
2: BANK: You shall be responsible for the cost of transfer of your
winning funds.
Mr Moore Rogie
Director of Promos
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
***