2006-07-17 03:32:34 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Local Businesses ➔ United States ➔ Washington, D.C.
If you didn't play the lottery, then you didn't win.
2006-07-17 06:50:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No way. You likely didn't play and didn't win. I get these for the European lottery all the time. I also get messages that a long lost relative died in Africa with no heirs and I can get my share of his 10M fortune. Don't do it! None of these are true.
The Nigerian ones are called 419 scams. Check out info here - http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/. And for some amusement, check this out - http://www.419eater.com/. The second one may also have info on the lottery examples.
2006-07-18 17:22:02 · answer #2 · answered by cmc1217 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You receive an unsolicited email, which states that you have won a major prize in an international lottery. Supposedly, your email address was collected online and attached to a random number that was subsequently entered in a draw for the lottery. In order to claim your prize, you are instructed to contact the official "agent" in charge of your case. You are also advised to keep the win confidential for "security reasons". This part of the scam is basically a random phishing expedition. 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.
You may be asked to provide banking details, a large amount of personal information, and copies of your driver's licence and passport. Ostensibly, these requests are 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.
Sooner or later, the scammers will request some sort of advance fee supposedly to cover administration, legal or delivery costs. At its core, this scam is just a reworking of the Nigerian loan fraud, in which scammers also eventually ask for upfront fees to facilitate the "deal". Like Nigerian scams, victims who do actually pay the requested fees will probably find that they receive continuing payment demands to cover "unexpected expenses". The requests for money will go on until the victim realizes what is happening or has no further money to send.
In some cases, the scammers give victims the option of opening an account at a particular bank as an alternative to paying upfront fees. However, this "bank" which is completely bogus, will insist on an initial deposit of $3000 as a requirement for opening the account. The fake bank will have a legitimate looking website to reinforce the scam. In other cases, the victim is given the option of travelling to an overseas destination and paying a cash fee to facilitate the release of the funds. However, any "winnings" released to the victim will be counterfeit and therefore worthless.
The details of the lottery scams vary regularly with regard to the name of the lottery itself, the country of origin, the sponsoring organization, the amount of the "prize" and other particulars. The scammers try to add a patina of legitimacy to their claims by mentioning real financial institutions, government departments or well-known companies. They may also provide links to slick looking, but fraudulent websites that are designed to back up information included in the scam emails. If the scammers are successful in establishing a dialogue with a potential victim, they may provide "proof" such as a scanned image of a supposed government official's ID and even photographs of the "winnings" in cash.
If you receive one of these scam emails, it is important that you do not respond to it in any way. The scammers are likely to act upon any response from those they see as potential victims. Although it can be educational and even entertaining to "bait" these scammers, such endeavours should only be attempted under controlled conditions. The people who run these scams are criminals and could even resort to violence and intimidation to meet their aims. You should delete the email without replying. Alternatively, you can forward the email to the address supplied on the FraudWatch International website for further investigation. http://www.fraudwatchinternational.com/internetfraud
If you have supplied banking details, a large amount of personal information, and copies of your driver's licence and passport to the scammers, then you may become a victim of identity theft. For details on what to do, read the Help for Victims of Identity Theft article on the FraudWatch International website.
Unfortunately, there is probably very little you can do to recover any money you have already supplied. However, you should inform your local law enforcement agency as soon as possible. Also, take steps to protect your identity by reading the Help for Victims of Identity Theft article on the FraudWatch International website.
2006-07-17 14:34:49 · answer #3 · answered by chem_princess 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ask yourself these questions:
Did I play the Austrialian lottery?
If I did not then how could I have won?
So if you answered no to the first question and you can't to the second question then you can't win! You can't win something you never entered! Think about it!
2006-07-17 10:38:13 · answer #4 · answered by dutchfam7 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first thing you should do is ask yourself several honest questions.
1--- DO I WANT SPAM IN MY COMPUTER, OR A VIRUS THAT I WILL NEVER GET OFF?
2--- DO I WANT TO SPEND $$$ WITH NOT A THING IN RETURN?
3-- DO I HAVE $$$ TO THROW AWAY?
4-- DO I NEED SOME JERK TO KNOW MY BUSINESS AND RUIN MY LIFESTYLE, MY BUSINESS, BY HAVING ALL MY INFORMATION ?
If the answer is NO to one of these questions.
GO TO SPAM ---------
GO TO ---- BLOCK ADDRESS, AND SUMMIT HIS OR HER ADDRESS.
AND PRESS DELETE
AND DO THIS NOW
2006-07-17 10:59:34 · answer #5 · answered by Linda 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's all a hoax. I get them all the time. Go to breakthechain.com and you'll find all kinds of BS that is being passed around via email and internet.
2006-07-17 10:36:25 · answer #6 · answered by Shelby67grl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, did you buy a lottery ticket?
If you did buy a ticket, there's information on the back telling you how to redeem it.
If not, it's a big hoax either
1.to get your personal information
2. to have you send them money to process it, mail it, or whatever their excuse. is.
Tear it up and move on.
2006-07-20 20:36:31 · answer #7 · answered by Bobbie 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it's not true!!! I got one that was exactly like it. I sent everything in and I never got the money, and I never heard from then again
So don't do it!!! It's a gigantic scam!!!!!
2006-07-17 10:38:07 · answer #8 · answered by samson 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it's a scam to get you to send your personal information to someone who will abuse it.
2006-07-17 10:35:51 · answer #9 · answered by chdoctor 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeh wright but first you have to buy something, wright?
2006-07-17 10:36:13 · answer #10 · answered by clovisfleischhund 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋