Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
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If you replied to the email from "Mr. Smith Roland" at "Staatsloterij Nederlands" telling you that "your email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to contact "Charles Agata Otti" 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.
Paleisstraat 5, 2514 JA,
The Hague, the Netherlands.
Mr. Smith Roland,
Email: eulotteryagent00@netscape.net
Tel: 0031-614200933
Fax: 0031-847595514Date: 11-04-2007,
Attn: Mr. John Smith,
This is to acknowledge the receipt of your filled claim verification form and copy of passport receive. Be informed, you have been invited to be present in the Netherlands to have your winning prize process and obtain all winning documents in your name and if you are unable to be present , you are advice to furnish this department with the processing fee. Based on your inability to travel down for the Notarization of your Award Winning Certificate and the signing of the Release Order, for your information; there is a Mandatory Notarization fee that you need to make to the High Court of Justice in The Hague. If you are present or not, the Court requires Notarization fee of €960 (Nine Hundred and Sixty euros) for the Notarization of your Award winning Certificate.
You are therefore requested to make the payment of the Notarization Fee (€960 Euro Only ) as has been communicated to you, through Western Union Money transfer immediately, as this is the fastest means to get the Notarization fee transferred, to enable the Head of our Legal Dept. with your duly completed Power of Attorney and a copy of your valid proof of Identification, proceed, to notarize your winning documents at the International Court of Justice, The Hague before the signing of the Release Order of your winning prize. All documents obtained will be forwarded to you immediately on receipt and subsequently your fund remitted as you have indicated.
And wish to advice that the Management of Staatsloterij Nederlands recommended that all cash payments from foreign countries that are solely for the use of ''NOTARISSEN'' of winners documents be made payable through the designated Collecting Officer in our Legal Dept, this is not a mandatory claim you can also wave you right in filing for it and you will have to instruct the bank on mode of transfer.
Name; Charles Agata Otti
Paleisstraat 5, 2514 JA, The Hague, the Netherlands.
We do not engage in private negotiations with winners as regards to the collection of his/her winning prize and we are under no legal obligation whatsoever to pay for any associated expenditures, hotel accommodation, feeling, transportation etc or the notarization of your winning prize, for you, without which the signing of the release order of your winning prize is impossible, no deduction can be made any money/monies from the total value won before the final credit into your nominated bank account due to the Hard Cover Insurance Policy Bond covering your prize to be deducted.
All documents obtained will be forwarded to you immediately on receipt.
Note: Considering the workload at hand you are required to send an email to me after sending the form by fax, this is to hasten your registration. Kindly remember to quote your reference number in all correspondence. Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform us as soon as calling from the US or Canada, replace 00 with 011.The paying bank will contact you prior to transferring of your fund to your nominated bank account.
Congratulation.
Best regards
Mr. Smith Roland,
Tel: 0031-614200933
Fax: 0031-847595514
The Netherlands.NOTICE: This message, including all attachments transmitted with it, is for the use of the addressee only. It may contain proprietary, confidential and/or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistransmission. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute, print or copy any part of this message. If you believe you have received this message in error, please delete it and all copies of it from your system and notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail.
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
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