I need to be the luckiest person alive. In the previous three days I discovered I won 1.5 Million Euros in the UK lottery, One Million Euros in the Winx International Lottery Game, 1.5 Million Euros in the 2007 Email Lottery, and 500,000 Pounds in an e-mail lottery game held by the Coca Soda Company. Wow! Exactly what did I do to receive all these riches?
The unfortunate truth exists are in fact people who succumb to these schemes. For the pledge of a fast dollar (or million Euros as the case may be) people will turn over their bank account numbers, wire cash in the hopes of getting more back, or offer other info that might lead to identity theft.
These lottery and sweepstakes schemes have gone on long prior to the internet, with one of the earliest being the counterfeit sweepstakes which required an entryway cost to declare your reward, which amounted to more than the "prize" was worth. The real winner was the scamming company which made cash off the phone calls.
Today's burglars have a large option of scam-delivery mechanisms, including personally, the mail, web and phone. The exact same holds real no matter how the rip-off is delivered: if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
How Can You Recognize the Lottery or Sweepstakes Scam?
There are certainly legitimate lotteries and sweepstakes offers. Who hasn't bought a state or multi-state lottery game ticket from their local lotto seller? Or, who hasn't seen one of those sweepstakes provided by a recognized company marketing in the discount coupon area of the Sunday paper? You complete the entry form or sensible facsimile (normally a 3" x5" card) with your name and address and send it off.
Therein is your biggest hint as to whether you're the victim of a scam. In a genuine lotto or sweepstakes you have actually purchased the ticket or entered your name and address. In a fraud lottery or sweepstakes you are alerted you've won when you have not even gone into or purchased a ticket.
In addition, it's illegal to use the mail or telephone to play lottos across borders, whether national or state lines. Any lottery game offer including the purchase of lottery tickets for other state or country lotteries could wind up with you being charged with prohibited activities.
One ploy utilized by foreign scammers involving lottery games or sweepstakes is providing you an "advance" on your earnings. The scam artist will send you a look for over at this website part of your "payouts." All you need to do is wire them payment for "taxes" or other official functions. By the time you find out their check has actually bounced the cash you wired is in their hands. And, because it was wired it's more difficult to trace.
A common rip-off would go something like this: You are approached in individual by somebody who claims he or she just won the lottery but isn't eligible to claim it. Except that before you claim the prize from Youtube Lottery Dominator the lotto seller you are needed to withdraw some loan from your account and offer it to the ticket holder as a good-faith gesture. By the time you discover out you're holding a non-winning lottery ticket, the thief is long-gone with your good-faith cash.
In order to safeguard yourself from these scams, it is essential to keep in mind the following:
Lottos
• It's unlawful to utilize the mail or telephone to play lottos across borders.
• If you ever receive a phone call, letter or e-mail announcing you just won a lottery, it's a rip-off.
Sweepstakes
• It's prohibited for a business to need you to pay to claim a sweepstakes or win prize.
• It's prohibited for a business to recommend that purchasing something will enhance your possibilities of winning.
• Companies can not ask for money from you for taxes they say you owe on a sweepstakes winning.
• Be cautious when entering sweepstakes from displays you see in shopping malls-- oftentimes these are people just desiring your name and address for a future sweepstakes fraud.
• Just go into sweepstakes from recognizable business, and never pay a fee to go into.
Avoiding being the victim of a rip-off takes a healthy dosage of apprehension. You can call the National Scams Information Center's Hotline at 1-800-876-7060 if you are ever not sure about the legitimacy of a deal made to you.
In the past three days I discovered out I won 1.5 Million Euros in the UK lottery, One Million Euros in the Winx International Lottery, 1.5 Million Euros in the 2007 E-Mail Lottery game, and 500,000 Pounds in an e-mail lottery held by the Coca Soda Company. These lotto and sweepstakes schemes have gone on long before the web, with one of the oldest being the bogus sweepstakes which required an entrance charge to claim your reward, which amounted to more than the "reward" was worth. Who hasn't bought a state or multi-state lottery game ticket from their regional lottery retailer? In a genuine lottery or sweepstakes you have actually bought the ticket or entered your name and address. In a scam lotto or sweepstakes you are alerted you have actually won when you haven't even entered or purchased a ticket.