Lottery scams usually begin with an unexpected email
notification that "You have won!" a large sum of money in a
lottery.
To reduce suspicion, it may say that your email address was
collected online and attached to a random number that was
subsequently entered in a draw for the lottery.
You are usually told to keep the notice secret, "due to a
mix-up in some of the names and numbers," and to contact a
"claims agent." If you respond in any way to the email, the
scammers will send further messages or even contact you by
phone in an attempt to draw you deeper into the scam.
If you contact the claims agent, you will be asked to pay
processing fees, administration fees, legal fees or
delivery costs so that the winnings can be distributed,
however, you will never receive any lottery payment!
An alternative request is for you to provide banking
details, a large amount of personal information, and copies
of your driver's license and passport. These requests are
supposedly to prove your identity and facilitate the
transfer of your winnings.
However, if you comply with these requests, the scammers
will have enough information to steal your identity.
Sometimes the scammers give you the option of opening an
account at a named bank as an alternative to paying upfront
fees. However, the bank will be a fake with a legitimate
looking website and will insist on an initial deposit of
$3000 as a requirement for opening the account. They may
even give you a username and password so you can look at
the money in 'your' account [making a web page look like an
online bank account, and creating a password protected web
page is easy].
What do they Want From You in the Lottery Scams?
They want your money or your identity or both. They steal
your identity by using your personal banking, passport,
drivers license or credit card information to open accounts
in your name. They can take out loans in your name and not
repay them, get a drivers license with your name and their
photo, or purchase items in your name and not pay for them.
They commit crimes using your name, and you are left
explaining to the bank, creditors or the police.
How to Recognize Lottery Scams or Prize Scams
* The information advises that you have won a prize - but
you did not enter any competition run by the prize
promoters. Usually it is an unsolicited email. If a lottery
offering millions of dollars in prizes has to go out to the
internet to find entrants and enter them for free - how
would it make any money to offer the huge prizes?
* The lottery is based overseas and you are not a resident
or citizen of that country, and have not bought a ticket
while visiting that country
* You are advised not to tell anyone about your win in the
lottery or contest until all the paperwork is finalized and
the winnings have been deposited into your account.
Legitimate lotteries and contests will never ask you to do
that. The scammers are hoping you will keep quiet and not
tell anyone because other people might realize its a scam
and warn you about it
* A request for payment up front to cover taxes,
administration fees etc. Only lottery scams require
payments before you collect any winnings
* The email advises the winners were selected at random
from their email addresses, through a computer ballot, or
from an online directory
* Lottery scams almost always use free email accounts such
as Yahoo, Gmail, MSN, Hotmail and Live. Legitimate
businesses would not use them
Spanish and Dutch Lottery Scams
The letters, faxes and emails advise you of a major win in
a recent draw of overseas lottery. They usually state they
are located in Spain or the Netherlands although there are
also versions referring to lotteries in the United Kingdom,
South Africa and Australia. The El Gordo Spanish Sweepstake
Lottery (and variations on this name) is the most common
version and the lottery letters rely on people confusing
them with authorized Spanish lotteries such as the El Gordo
de la Primitiva and El Gordo de Navidad.
Remember
* If you did not buy a lottery ticket, you cannot win a
lottery
* If you receive a check for a lottery you did not enter,
its counterfeit
Lottery Scams Advice
* Do not respond to the offer as you are likely to receive
many more
* Do not send any money
* Do not give out any personal information
