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Sample Promotion Winning Scam Email: HEINEKEN WEBSTORE/DRAUGHT MONTHLY PROGRAMME

Sample Promotion Prize Scam Email:
HEINEKEN WEBSTORE/DRAUGHT MONTHLY PROGRAMME
"Mr.Caroline Neill", "Larry Kevin"

Have you received an email from "Mr.Caroline Neill" at "HEINEKEN WEBSTORE/DRAUGHT MONTHLY PROGRAMME" saying you won their promotion or lottery promo and to contact "Larry Kevin" to collect your winnings? AH, those gender-bending Dutch! It is a scam. Did you notice the "Mr." Caroline?And don't get too excited if the names are different; the scammers make many versions of this scam!

The scam looks authentic, well, with a few mistakes.  But there is a link to the real Heineken's website, and real photos...  Nevertheless, 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:

• Master list of sample promotions scam emails

• How to recognize a promotions scam

• What to do if you think you have been the victim of a scam

• How the lottery / sweepstakes / promotion scams work, step by step

Sample scam email

HEINEKEN (WORLDWIDE)

32 Mendy Street High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP11 2NZ. Tel: +447045714909                                                                                   

ATTENTION: WINNER!
FILE #: 2752246896
CODE: 652-662

HEINEKEN AUGUST ONLINE USERS PRIZE DRAW:

We are pleased to inform you of the release of the long online results of the HEINEKEN WEBSTORE/DRAUGHT MONTHLY PROGRAMME held on the 6TH OF MARCH 2007.You were entered as a dependent client with; Reference Serial Number: 652-662 and Batch number AT-040SB06-03.

   Your email address attached to the ticket number: 2752246896 that drew the lucky winning number, which consequently won the sweepstake in the first category, in four parts. You have been approved for a payment of £250,000.00 Pounds Sterling (TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND POUNDS STERLINGS) in cash credited to FILE #: 2752246896. This is from a total cash prize of Twenty Million Pounds Sterling shared amongst the Seventy-Two (72) international winners.

   All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 50,000 (Fifty thousand) names of email users around the world, as part of our compensation for the frequent use and consumption of our product worldwide. Due to mix up of some names and addresses, we ask that you keep this award personal, till your claims has been processed and your funds remitted to you.

  This Programme was commissioned by a one time president of the United States Of America in an indoor lecture held on the 6TH OF MARCH 2007. HEINEKEN is proud to be associated with (former) President Bill Clinton. The President commended HEINEKEN for it's great contribution to the growth and development of our society at large and he sited our Football sponsored league as an example.

HEINEKEN COMPANY SECURITY AGENCY.
Please contact the Agent below vian email for further instructions on what next to do to claim your winnings.

Agents Name: Larry Kevin

Email Address: heinekenclaimsverification_deprt@yahoo.co.uk

Phone Number:+44-704-571-1924

 

NOTE: Winnings must be claimed before the end of each month. Any information that is been provided by winners must be correct as provision of wrong information by winners may lead to disqualification of a winner, be warned!

 

Yours Sincerely,
Mr.Caroline Neill

Online-Co-ordinator/HEINEKEN UK
32 Mendy Street High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP11 2NZ. Tel:  +447045714909
http://www.heineken.com/uk/