Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
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Have you received an email from "Frank Moss" at "E-Lottery International" telling you that "your email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to contact "Mr. Richard Morley" to collect your winnings? It is a scam. No legitimate, legal lottery notifies winners vian email (see footnote)! The scammers may change the names and details, but it is still a scam!
This scammer has even gone to the lengths of creating a website, www.goldcoinnet.co.uk, to make the scam look more believable. You may have not learned how to make a website, but these days, most bright 12 year olds could make a website in a couple of hours. It only takes a computer, $10 for a domain name and $50 for a year's hosting. Don't be fooled by websites!
Notice that the scammer wrote from one email address, with a reply-to address at another domain, and then asks you to write back to yet a third email address and domain. We hope you might find this odd!
Then note that they claim to be based in Los Angeles, and next in London, and the mobile number they want you to call is in South Africa. Doesn't this strike you as strange?
Below is the example of the fake email scam (the email is the scam, not any persons or companies named in the email) claiming to be from the "E-Lottery International".
Although the most important clue is that no legitimate lottery will ever email a winner, there are many other signs that this is a fraud. We have highlighted some of these in the email below, not the least of which are:
Email address ballot: There is no such thing as a "computer ballot system" or "computer email draw". No one, not even Microsoft has a database of email addresses of the type or magnitude they suggest.
"No tickets were sold": You care to explain where the money comes from? Perhaps the lottery money fairy? Why would a lottery give away money to "email address randomly selected by a computer ballot draw system"? This is CLEARLY nonsense: you MUST, repeat MUST buy a ticket to have a chance of winning any lottery!
Terrible spelling, punctuation, syntax and grammar - Scammers apparently don't know how to use spell checkers. We assume they dropped out of school before that class. They use almost excessive and random CapItaLiZAtion. Names are usually in all capital letters for some reason known only to these illiterate criminals. They often can't even spell "February" or know that "22th" ought to be "22nd". These scammers usually write at the 3rd grade level. Being non-native English speakers, they also often get first names and surnames (last names reversed), so you will frequently see names like "Mr. SMITH JAMES.", instead of "Mr. James Smith", along with the peculiar usage of periods (full stops) and spaces or the lack thereof. Real lotteries also proofread their emails and look and read more professional.
Using free email account: The scammer is writing to you from a FREE email account (Yahoo, Hotmail, Excite, AIM, Gmail, etc.). Don't you think a real organization would use it's own email, it's own domain and website?
Keep Confidential - Real lotteries THRIVE on publicity - they don't want you to keep anything secret - the publicity causes people to buy more tickets. there is NO risk of "double claiming" because they can validate where the ticket numbers were sold. The scammer want you to keep quiet because they don't want the police or ConsumerFraudreporting to hear about them! It should read: "For our own security, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential until we have finished scamming you!"
Email notification: NO REAL LOTTERY SENDS AN EMAIL TO NOTIFY WINNERS. Period. Full-stop. End of story. There mere fact ALONE that you received an email saying you won a lottery is proof that it is a scam.
Here is a typical scam lottery winning notification.
From: E-Lottery International [ einternational@oneluckyemail.net ]
Sent: 01/23/2008 12:29 PM ZE2
To: e.international@hotdak.net
Subject: WinnerE-Lottery International
1745 Wilcox Avenue
Los Angeles 90028
United States of AmericaDear Winner,
We are pleased to announce you as one of the 3 lucky winners in the E-Lottery draw held on the 23rd of January, 2008. All 3 winning addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 5,000,000 international emails. Your email address emerged alongside 2 others as a 3rd category winner in this month's draw.
Consequently, you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of £2,000,000 Pounds (Two million pounds) only. The following particulars are attached to your lotto payment order:
(i) Winning numbers: 89,4,12,1,20,50
(ii) Serial number: 23-10-2007
(iii) Lotto batch number: US-987
(iv) Reference number: ELI-520-4
Please contact the under listed claims officer as soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings:
Mr. Richard Morley
Claims Manager
Gold Coin Finance UK
Email: contactus@goldcoinnet.co.uk
Tel: +44 2070600365 Ext 2
Tel: +44 7045718751
Fax: +44 7005981754
This is to give you a brief explanation of how you emerged a winner in the E-Lottery. The third category draws of E-Lottery is a promotional draw, whereby participants do not have to buy tickets to formally enter into the draws, about 5,000,000 international and local emails were selected randomly by a computer ballot system and entered into the draws, you consequently emerged as one of the 3 winners in this category. This entitles you to a cash prize of £2,000,000.00
Once again on behalf of all our staff, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Sincerely,
Frank Moss
Promotions Manager
Tel: +1-360-5195514
Fax: +1-425-8710225Note:
1. All claims are nullified after 10 working days from today.
2. Your Ref number must be in all your mails with the claims officer.
3. Do inform the claims officer of any change of names or addresses.
4. All winners under the age of 18 are automatically disqualified.
5. Please contact your claims agent by fax or email (Mr. Richard
Morley)
This email may contain information which is confidential and/or privileged. The information is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents is prohibited. If you have received this electronic transmission in error, please notify the sender by telephone or return email and delete the material from your computer.
--
Gold Coin Finance UK
84 King Street, Hammersmith Business Center London, England, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 704 5718751
Fax: +44 700 5981754
Website: www.goldcoinnet.co.uk
Please can you confirm the validity of this email I have received stating that I am a lottery winner ???? Your prompt response will be greatly appreciated.
Also, the Mobile Number in South Africa is 0827428329 not sure if you lose the 0 in front of the number when phoning South Africa
From: "Gold Coin Finance UK", < contactus@goldcoinnet.co.uk
Subject: Requirements
Date: 2008/01/24 04:27 PM
Dear < victim's name>,
We are in receipt of your claims file, I wish to inform you that we have in our possession instruments of payment for the sum of £2,000,000.00.00 awarded to you by E-LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL as your prize money in the 3rd Category draws.
Requirements:
1.You will be required to fill in a 'Lottery Winnings Claim Form'.
2. You will also be required to pay a fee. This payment is to cover transfer charges, administrative cost, Insurance of vital documents like prize claim certificate and other transfer documents, that will be sent to you via Courier service immediately after transfer of your winnings is effected.
3.After steps 1 and 2 are met your winnings would be transferred to your designated bank account and a copy of your transfer slip shall be sent to you for confirmation.
The reason for this promotional draw is as a result of our vision to extend our activities to other continents of the world and we felt the best way to achieve this is by having a promotional draw. Congratulations once again on behalf of members and staff of the E-LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL.
You are required to respond and act without delay to all instructions provided above to ensure a glitch free claims process that will facilitate the transfer of your prize money.
Richard Morley
Claims Department Manager
Gold Coin Finance UK
Tel: +44 2070600365 Ext 2
Tel: +44 704 5771451
Fax: +44 700 5981754
Website: www.goldcoinnet.co.uk
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
* Re: emails of winnings. We know of only ONE exception in the world to this rule - and if you bought a ticket from them, you would know it, and would used their safegaurds.
* Re: emails of winnings. We know of only ONE exception in the world to this rule - and if you bought a ticket from them, you would know it, and would not be questioning it.