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 "DR GEORGE . M. OMERA" at "IRNL - Euromillions" telling you that "your email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to contact "BRITISH AIRWAYS COURIER COMPANY at bacs_dispatch@yahoo.co.uk" 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!
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 "IRNL - Euromillions".
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.
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. 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.
Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 23:21:28 +0100
From: drgeorgeomera@yahoo.co.ukSubject: ATTN: NOTIFICATION OF PAYMENT APPROVAL (CONTACT BAC-SERVICE FOR YOUR PARCEL.)
The National Lottery
EURO MILLIONS PROMO/PRIZE DEPARTMENT
Abbey Street Lower, Dublin 1, Ireland(Customer Services)
Ref: IR/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/zy369
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
NOTIFICATION OF PAYMENT APPROVAL
IRNL is a non-profit, government-benefit association owned and operated and finance by 31 member country lotteries to Enhance Economic power and Tradings activities of individuals. Each IRNL member offers one or more of the games administered by IRNL Offices. All profits are retained by this lottery and are used to fund projects approved by the state legislatures as adviced by the Chief Executive Officer of the Microsoft Company to Enhance Economic power and Tradings activities of individuals .
I wish to congratulate you for being one of the lucky winners of this year online lottery. Count yourself a lucky person. I am glad to inform you that I am in receipt of your mail and the provided required details (Claims Verification Form), your winning Statement and winning prize which is now ready for disbursement.
This is to inform you that your (Ref: IR/9420X2/68) have been approved for payment by the IRNL Claims department.
I am happy to inform you, that your Original Winning Certificate and your Certified bank cheque alongside with other accompanying documents has been fowarded to our affiliated Courier Company for delivery to you at your door step. Find below the contact details (E-mail and Phone number) of the Delivery Company incharge of your parcel delivery.
BRITISH AIRWAYS COURIER COMPANY
EMAIL ADDRESS : bacs_dispatch@yahoo.co.uk Please you are to ensure that you copy the email address carefuly, Note you will find an (_) affter bacs before dispatch@yahoo.co.uk
When contacting them,ensure to include this Cleared number as your subject.
Please you are adviced to write down the cleared number and save it. CLEARED NUMBER: 00/999/123
NOTE : YOU ARE TO USED YOUR CLEARD NUMBER AS YOUR SUBJECT WHEN CONTACTING THE COURIER COMPANY.
Officially, i want you to understand that Since your Certified Winning Cheque and All Other Accompanying Documents have Finally been Issued In Your Name and as well covered with a hard cover insurance policy which makes it impossible for any deduction whatsoever to be made out of your winning fund, You Will be responsible for Any delivery charges that WILL Be Required For by the Courier Company for a secured and save delivery of your parcel to your door step.
Once again, Congratulations and always inform me of your transaction with the COURIER COMPANY.
Courier Contact And Details:-
Note! This information should be sent to the Courier Company via-email when contacting the office:
Your Full Names:..................................?
Name of your fiduciary agent:.......................?
Parcel Cleared Number: 00/999/123
PAST WINNERS
Regards,
DR GEORGE . M. OMERA
Fiduciary Agent
IRNL Claims DepartmentCourier Services:
BAC-Service Couriers provides local, national and international courier services at consistently affordable prices.
Each courier works to a timetable, within an exclusive territory/Location. Customers of BAC-service Couriers are invited to deal with their courier on a CLEARED NUMBER basis, and full contact details, hence known as delivery request form and invoice are provided to customers to make a choice of delivery to which Customers are deem fit to get his/her parcel delivered.
For an international delivery we are made to incure some initial expencies, such as insuring your parcel,registration of your parcel with the Fedral High Court before it can be placed on transit to your location/door-step, in this regard we do not accept payment after delivery from our Customers, hence payment before delivery ehance the commence of our delivery and enable us to serve you better.
We open 7days a week and our service 24 hours of daily.
Dispatch Officer: Mr. P. Alanmoore
Email: bacs_dispatch@yahoo.co.uk
Phone:+442070605901
+447045700956
+447011148375
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
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