How come I keep winning the lottery even though I haven't entered?

Question

Seriously, I keep getting these emails. I must be REALLY lucky!!

Answer 1

ITS A SCAM TO GET YOUR PERSONAL 411////

You Have Won the Netherlands Sweepstakes Lottery-Scam!






Summary of eRumor:
You receive an email that says you have won a sweepstakes lottery in the Netherlands. It gives you phone and fax numbers to respond to and arrange to collect your winnings, which are in the millions of dollars. It warns you not to make any of this public ad in fact, if you breach any confidentiality, you'll lose your winnings.


The Truth:
This is a scam.

It's a variation of the "advance fee" scams that are rampant on the Internet.

Just in case anyone doubts our assessment, we have numerous versions of this scam letter that have been sent to different people...each with the same "winning numbers."

There are several variations of the eRumor that use different names for the organization sponsoring the lottery, but most of them claim to be in the Netherlands.

None of those who receives these emails remembers getting into a lottery, but hey, why not go for the money?

The problem is that after you respond to the email, you'll have one of two exchanges that sound really authentic and then just when you can taste the money, they'll send you a request for you to pay them (typically about $1,800). They claim that it's a processing fee and that the lottery commission insists that it not be deducted from your winnings. They ask that it be sent as a Western Union wire transfer.

This is also known by other names such as "The Sunsweetin Promo Lottery."

Once you send the money, you never hear of them or your winnings again.

If you receive this kind of eRumor or are contacted by anyone using this approach, contact the United States Secret Service at:

U.S. Secret Service Financial Crimes Division
1800 G St., NW,
Room 942,
Washington, DC 20223.

You might also be interested in the Nigeria Advance Fee Scam page.



A real example of the story as it has been circulated:

DELOTTO NETHERLANDS SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY,
BURDENSTRAAT 21B,
2053 DS AMSTERDAM,
THE NETHERLANDS.
TEL/ FAX: [phone]
FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF: EGS/2551256003/04
BATCH: 14/0017/IPD

ATTENTION:
RE/ AWARD NOTIFICATION; FINAL NOTICE

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement
today, 10TH DECEMBER 2001, of winners of the DELOTTO
NETHERLANDS SWEEPSTAKE LOTTERY/ INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
held on 31ST OCTOBER 2001.

Your company, attached to ticket number
025-1146-1992-750, with serial number 2113-05 drew the
lucky numbers 13-15-22-37-39-43, and consequently won
the lottery in the 3rd category.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay
out of US$1,200,000.00 in cash credited to file REF
NO. EGS/2551256003/04. This is from total prize money
of US$20,400,000.00 shared among the seventeen
international winners in this category. All
participants were selected through a computer ballot
system drawn form 25,000 names from Australia, New
Zealand, America, Europe and North America as part our
International Promotions Program, which is conducted
annually.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your fund is now deposited with a Finance and Security
House insured in your name. Due to the mix up of some
numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award
strictly from public notice until your claim has been
processed and your money remitted to your account.
This is part of our security protocol to avoid double
claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this
program.

We hope with a part of you prize, you will participate
in our end of year high stakes US$1.3 billion
International Lottery.

To begin your claim, please contact your claim agent;
DANNY TAYLOR,
FOREIGN SERVICE MANAGER,
GLOBAL CROSSING,
AMSTERDAM, n.l
TEL: [phone] FAX: [phone]
EMAIL: [address was here] @yahoo.com

For due processing and remittance of your prize money
to a designated account of your choice.

Remember, you must contact your claim agent not later
than 14TH DECEMBER 2001. After this date, all funds
will be returned as unclaimed.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and
complications, please remember to quote your reference
and batch numbers in every one of your correspondences
with your agent. Furthermore, should there be any
change of your address, do inform your claims agent as
soon as possible.

Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you
for being part of our promotions program.



Sincerely,

THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
DELOTTO NETHERLANDS SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY.

N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the
winners will result to disqualification. Please do not
reply to this mail. Contact your claim agent.

__________________________________________________

Answer 2

WOW!You are really lucky.I get them all the time but noone ever pays me even after I forward them to the FTC as 419 scams or that stupid FREELOTTO(Kevin Aronin liar).I've been trying to come up with the 12000 dollars so they and all of my Nigerian frinds can put that and all of the xormant swiss bank accounts into my bank.I'll have to wait til someone pays me to send the attorney that found my last name on the internet(I've inherited the Chevron fortune and he needs my help to settle the estate).Then there's Smith J Williams who used to be a gold merchant and needs to hide his money from the government so he'll give me 50% to help.None of these people will pay me so I can afford the ADVANCE FEEs.Some people have all the luck.You can go to ripoffreport.com and find many of the names I just listed.I'd wish you luck but you don't need it.Joe

Answer 3

I think the people who send these e-mails feel like they have won the lottery after they capitalize on the stupidity of others.

By the way, your questions rock! I especially liked the "HOW DO I TURN OFF THE CAPS LOCK" question.

Answer 4

It is just a scam to get money and your personal info from you. I have received these notices many times myself. You should disregard these notices if you have not entered in any lottery.

Answer 5

No, it is not you who is lucky. The scammers are hoping THEY will get lucky and you will be dumb enough to hand over all your personal bank account information, credit card numbers, even your entire wallet. They will keep trying until they win.

Answer 6

Hahahah, me too!! I keep winning alot of those lotteries and never enter! It is all a scam!!

Answer 7

I guess all who has an email account received these spam mails from other sites who wants attention. Apparently, they just wanted to sell something and it's their way to advertise, it's so annoying though.

Answer 8

They are scams....obviously.....they are so annoying cause I get them all the time, it used to be the story about someone in Africa but now its everywhere and each story is different as well as lottery stories now......sucks

Answer 9

LOL - hey, you've won my lottery too! Congratulations, upon receipt of payment of 100.00 bucks you will have won again!
send paypal money to my email account. :-)

Answer 10

between my lottery winnings and my rich long lost relative in Africa who just wants my banking info so that he can make a deposit I should be pretty wealthy.