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.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Congratulations.

From: Australian Lottery Online <australian.lottery@mails.de>
Date: 03-Jun-2006 13:25
Subject: Re: Congratulations.
To: Australian Lottery Online <ideceive@gmail.com>

Australian Lottery.
NSW Lotteries Corporation,
2 Figtree Drive,
Homebush Bay NSW 2127

Dear Sir/Madam,

CONGRATULATIONS: YOU WON $1,000,000.00.

We are pleased to inform you of the result of Australian Lottery,
which was held on the 29th, May 2006. Your e-mail address attached to
prize winning number: 3 7 9 16 27 28, and supplementary number: 37 43
drew a prize of $1,000,000.00 (One Million USDollars).
This lucky draw came first in the 2nd Category of the Sweepstake. You
will receive the sum of $1,000,000.00 (One Million USDollars) from our
authorized bank in Netherlands.

Because of some mix-up with our sweepstake numbers and prizes, plus
the time limited placed on the payment of your prize: $1,000,000.00,
we advice that you keep all information about this prize confidential
until your funds: $1,000,000.00
have been transferred to you by the authorized bank in The
Netherlands. You must adhere to this instruction, strictly, to avoid
any delay with the release of your funds to your person. This program
has been abused severally in past, so we are doing our best to
forestall further occurrence of past mix-ups.

This sweepstake was conducted under the watchful eyes of 12,000
spectators. Your e-mail address attached to prize winning number: 3 7
9 16 27 28 was selected and; it came first through an e-ballot draw
from over 250,000 e-mail addresses (personal and corporate e-mail
addresses).
This program is sponsored by NSW Lotteries to compensate faithful
internet suffers around the globe.
Congratulations for becoming one of the few lucky winners.
With your permission, your e-mail will also be included in the next
sweepstake of $5Million.

You must claim your prize: $1,000,000.00 not later than 10-days from
the moment you receive this e-mail.
In order to avoid unnecessary delays with your claim from our
authorized bank; please contact them immediately, and quote your
winning and personal information now.

Here is their contact information:
Bank: Laagste Heypotheekofferte Bank NL.
Contact person: Mr. Walter Hawkins.
Director: Public Finance, Global Markets, Interest Rate and Currency.
Direct-line: Tel: 0031 644 893 611.
Fax: 0031 847 134 206 .
E-mail address: custservicesbank@netscape.net

Furnish them with the following:
(i). your name(s),
(ii) Your telephone and fax numbers
(iii) Your contact address
(iv) Your winning information (including amount won).

Congratulations.
Yours to serve,
Valentino Von Kahn (Mrs.).
Coordinator: Australian Lottery.

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