Lottery scam quick guide: it's a scam if...

  • you win any lottery where you didn't buy a ticket! It's really that easy! It's not just too good to be true: it's bait in a trap!
  • you receive a generous grant out of the blue. Sadly (but not surprisingly) there aren't any benevolent people regularly throwing around millions of pounds/dollars/euros to randomly chosen people. This is just the lottery scam without the ticket.
  • they send you partial payment in the form of a cheque, money order, or direct bank transfer and want you to pay them fees out of that money. They're playing you for a sucker: cheques are frequently forged, and direct transfers made by compromising some poor schmuck's online banking service. You'll wind up a victim of fraud, or a party to it.
  • they want you to send them any money of any sort for any reason. They might try to say there are courier fees or taxes to cover. They're lying. Call their bluff and tell them to take the fees out themselves -- they'll never ever agree, because they can't defraud you unless money is making the reverse trip from you to them somehow.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

CONGRATULATIONS FROM MSN

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Msn/Hotmail announces you as one of the 4 lucky winners in the ongoing Msn/Hotmail Lottery Draw held on the Month of November. MSN win promotion is organized by Microsoft every month.
 
This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by Microsoft as part of its social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational base. Your details(e-mail address) falls within our British representative office in United Kingdom, you have been approved for a total pay out of  £950, 000.00 GBP (NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND GREAT BRITISH POUNDS STERLING ).
 
This is your Ticket Number: - TICKET NUMBER: 5647600545188
 
To begin your claims, kindly contact the HALIFAX BANK PLC UK FIDUCIARY AGENT:
Mr. Mark Sullivan
Email:
mrmarksullivan@msn.com
Phone:+44 70457 43502

You are required to forward him with the following details:
1.) FULL NAME:
2.) COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
3.) PRESENT ADDRESS:
4.) STATE/PROVINCE:
5.) OCCUPATION/COMPANY:
6.) COUNTRY:
7.) TICKET NUMBERS:
8.) SEX:
9.) AGE:
10.) TELEPHONE NUMBER:
11.) EMAIL ADDRESS:
12.) AMOUNT WON:
13.) THE MONTH YOU WON:

You are to keep your winning confidential, this is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this programme by non-selected winner or unofficial personnel.

Yours Sincerely,
JOHN BROWN
LOTTO CO-ORDINATOR.

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