hi!!! im rona .its a big deal to me to know your answers because this year i received a mail tellng me that i won $400,000 and they send me a payment form...and i am very confused....and bothered about this....
2007-03-28 14:20:33 · 3 answers · asked by rona 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Credit
Sorry to say, it's a common scam, and becoming increasingly popular.
Just do a search on yahoo or google for "australian lottery fraud' or "australian lottery scam" and you'll find a lot of links to how these lottery frauds operate. You'll probably even find copies of the letter you received, with slight information changes.
Typically what happens is that you receive a check, and you deposit it. The check clears, and you withdraw money and send it to the agency for 'taxes' or other service charges.
However, shortly afterward, the bank reports to you that the check was not valid. Guess who is liable for the funds you withdrew? You are.
It's a variation of a well know scam called the 'advance fee fraud.' You can, if you wish, search for other variations and references, but all you really need to know is that:
You never ever pay anything in advance before claiming winnings from a legitimate lottery. There are no bank or transfer fees, nothing.
You never need to provide any banking or credit card information.
Taxes are collected after you receive your winnings, and you pay taxes to the governmental revenue service, NOT the lottery agency.
2007-03-29 06:22:59 · answer #1 · answered by Piggiepants 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, but this is a scam.
If you never entered this lottery or do not have a ticket in hand, there's no way you could've won.
Plus, these scammers will want you to pay fees or taxes before you receive your prize. FYI: Any fee or taxes can be withheld from your winnings and never have to be paid beforehand.
Legitimate lotteries do not operate this way!
And if you live in the U.S.A, just remember, international lotteries are illegal.
2007-03-28 17:55:09 · answer #2 · answered by Celeste 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a scam to steal your identity or steal money from your accounts. Report it, do not fill out the forms.
Protect yourself Rona, don't go for it.
My guess is you never even entered the lottery, so how can you win it?????????
2007-03-28 14:26:57 · answer #3 · answered by Fordman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋