It is actually 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 their product. 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
"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.
-
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 a real organization
would use its own email, its own domain and website? Wouldn't they want to
promote that?
-
What are they promoting? No one promotes "world
peace" or "use of the internet" by handing out millions to random strangers.
And if they are promoting a product, then
this must be the world's worst promotion, because no one has heard of it,
outside of the email you just received.
-
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.
It is a typical scam promotion sweepstakes winning notification. Also
see these pages:
EUROPEAN SWEEPSTAKES PROMOTION
Taberner House Park
Lane Croydon CR9 1DH
United Kingdom.
Ref: win/oct102/06
Batch:05/10/wa34
Attn: {insert your name here},
This office is in receipt of your basic information for us to finalize
the processing release of your winnings. But I will say that we are running
behind time as a result of your been skeptic. You will agree with me that in
as much as I am assisting in this process for the quick release of your
winnings I will not be a mislead to your success .
In a nutshell I will advise that you
do not allow your been skeptic make
you miss a GOD sent opportunity which you do not know when next it will come
by following the agencies instruction in making payments of the required
fees without delay so that all can be finalized over here on your behalf and
you could be receiving your prize winnings without any hitch.
It may interest you to know that after verification of your winning
notification and documentation, we are required to get( Legal and
administrative fees, Stamp duty ,Zonal lottery and Gaming board fees , Vat )
on your winning claims to enable the PAYING BANK carry out the
transfer/payment of your winning and also make or leave you as the true
beneficiary of the DRAW under the EUROPEAN SWEEPSTAKES PROMOTION , zoned
under london Croydon Payment Center as all winnings must be notarized and a
certificate of award must be obtained from the UK Gaming Control Board to
complete the claims process.
This is in conformity with the lottery claim regulations by our
Organization & the UK Gaming Control Board.
Winners are to cover the legal
charges for the notarization of the claims form and the acquisition of the
certificate of award not EUROPEAN SWEEPSTAKES PROMOTION.
As soon this if duly finalized, All
neccesary documents will be
forwarded immediately on your behalf to the corresponding payment bank for
them to contact you to effect release of your winnings to you within 48
hours real time banking.
You are advised to send the fees via WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER to our
accounts officer in the uk for immediate processing of your winning claims .
Name of officer: Mrs Evelyn Micheal.
Address: 622 Crown House, North Circular Road, London , NW10 7PN
www.europeansweepstakepromotions.itgo.com
You can call me on my direct line to facilitate the release of your
funds.
Tel: +44-704-570-4582
Fax: +44-707-502-0590
Send confirmation of payment so that we proceed immediately.
I await your urgent response,
Mr Sott Hales.
