Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
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This is a very simple scam. They claim you won a Yahoo 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, let alone Yahoo, would randomly give away money. Promotions are specific and tied to their products or services. In this scam, you can't even figure out what that product would be!
There are many signs that this is a fraud, 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.
Using free email account: The scammer is writing to you from a FREE email account. Don't you think a real organization would use its own email, its own domain and website?
What are they promoting? No one promotes "world peace" or "use of the internet" by handing out millions to random strangers. That's just stupid to believe. 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. In this case, they don't even say what they are promoting... which means they aren't promoting anything!
And a legitimate lottery certainly would not use free hotmail, yahoo, elitist, or aim email accounts.
Notice the gibberish writing, excessive/incorrect use of CAPITAL letters, lack of decent punctuation and 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 rather than a domain and website that matches the lottery name, etc.
It is a typical scam sweepstakes winning notification. Also see these pages:
Yahoo Lottery < director_kennedyspencer@yahoo.com.hk > wrote:
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 08:09:33 -0700
From: Yahoo Lottery < director_kennedyspencer@yahoo.com.hk >
Subject: YAHOO PROMOTIONS 2007
YAHOO PROMOTIONS 2007
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the YAHOO! International Promotions Program held on the 20th of January 2007. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 883734657492-5319 with serial number 7263-267, batch number 8254297137 drew the lucky numbers 14-22-28-37-40-44 which consequently won in the 1st category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of £500,000.00 (i.e Five Hundred Thousand United Kingdom Pounds)in cash credited to file REF:YAHOO6/315116127/27. To file for your claims please contact:Mr Kennedy Spencer
REMMITANCE DIRECTOR
YAHOO PROMOTIONS UK,44 Moorfields London EC2Y 9AL UNITED KINGDOM
Tel:(+44)7031926404 (+44)7031926411,
Email: contact_kennedyspencer@yahoo.co.uk
For processing and remmitance of your winnings, you are required to contact our designated claims agent with the following underlisted informations: Full Names, Contact Address, Telephone Number, Age, Sex Occupation, Winning Informations e.t.c
Congratulations From our members of Staffs.
Mrs.Amelia Hunts.
Online Coordinator
Unbelievably, this victim deleted his "winning numbers" before he emailed this example to us, "just in case it is real". What a nitwit....
YAHOO PROMOTIONS < info-dept13@adelphia.net > wrote:
YAHOO PROMOTIONS
Thanks for contributing to our Financial Success)
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the YAHOO! International Promotions Program held on the 1st of February 2007. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number ...........with serial number ........., batch number ........ drew the lucky numbers ....................which consequently won in the 1st category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of £500,000.00 (i.e Five Hundred Thousand United Kingdom Pounds) in cash credited to file REF:YAHOO6/315116127/27. This is from total prize money of US$20,400,000.00 shared among the seventeen international winners in this category. You are to contact him with the following information:
Your Full
Names, Your Contact Address, Your Telephone and Fax numbers,
Occupation, Sex, Age and Location.
MR SMITH MICHEAL
REMMITANCE DIRECTOR
YAHOO PROMOTIONS UK
Tel:(+44) 7031924017 (+44) 7031921214
Email: agent_smithmichealuk@yahoo.de ,
maarcel_maartins@yahoo.de
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Your Sincerely,
Mrs. Amelia Hunts
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
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