Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
There are affiliate links on this page.
Read our disclosure policy to learn more.
If you replied to the email from "the lottery company" telling you that "your email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to contact "Barrister Richard Zuma" to collect your winnings, you will probably get one of the emails below back from the scammers. Notice the new name added to the list.
Although the most important clue is that no legitimate lottery will ever email a winner, nor require a winner to pay any fees, taxes or delivery charges, 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:
NO LOTTERY ANYWHERE REQUIRES WINNERS TO PAY FEES, TAXES OR OTHER CHARGES TO COLLECT THEIR WINNINGS!!! Can we say it any more plainly than that?
Pigeon English - Notice that as the scammer gets past the initial template email and must write free-form, how his grammar, spelling and basic sentence structure go straight in the toilet. The scammers don't even know how to use spell checkers. After all, this is a stupid, low-life criminal in the heart of Africa, who probably dropped out of school at age 5 to join a gang or militia. Obviously, 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 its own email, its 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!"
Here is a typical scam lottery winning notification.
From: egm_ progress < egm_progress@hotmail.com >
Date Apr 3, 2007 9:43 PM
Subject I Got Your Email From The Lottery Company
Attn: John Smith,
Permit me to introduce myself as Mr. Richard Zuma.Esq, ( Zuma Attorneys) a South African and legal practitioner based in Johannesburg. This is the reference of your mail dated 3 April 2007 in regards of the lottery you won and as you have requested me to do the necessary thing to make suru that you receive your money.
I want to use this singular opportunity to re-iterate and reassure you that this transfer is absolutely safe and there are no atoms of risks involved. Your safety is highly guaranteed because we have taken care of all the necessary things required for this transfer immediately you concern to us your personal banking details which will enable us write a letter of claim in your favor to the bank. I want to inform you that with your maximum co-operation, support, assistance and understanding,
Your winning lottery fund will be transfer smoothly and concluded within 10 bank working days from the day The bank commence the transfer processes of your winning fund after they have received the letter of claim from our office. For us to commence the immediate processes of writing the letter of claim in your favor, all that we demand of you right now are the following:
(1) The detailed particulars of your bank account (s) where you want the fund transferred. E.G: Your bank name, bank address, bank telephone and fax numbers, bank telex number, bank swift code or soft code, name of the account, the account number and name of beneficiary of the account.
(2) Your full names and contact address as is written on your international passport including your private telephone and fax numbers including your passport number, confirming that you are the right person.
Immediately all this information are received, I will used the opportunity to write a letter of claim in your favor to the bank, furnishing the bank with all the requirement which you have forwarded to us, so that your fund will be transferred into your account as indicated by you.
This is the proceeding to claim any lottery winnings, kindly provide the required information that will enable me process your winning fund by writing a letter of claim in your favor to the bank after receiving the above information from you.
Finally,I will appreciate you contact me to the following telephone 27 73 233 4208 for more discussion towards this information.
Sincerely,
Barrister Richard Zuma.Esq
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
***