Comment #3

Tenaj — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:26:45 GMT

We can't get enough of these kind of warnings. Thanks for posting it.

Comment #2

konane — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:08:57 GMT

<br />Latest one involves an ATM card with my name on it ...... reminds me of great lies like the check's in the mail, .... will respect you in the morning and a few others left to the imagination of the reader.<br /><br />Great post Hosni

Comment #1

Gentlespirit — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:28:13 GMT

Your blog reminded me of an email I received from Africa about 4 years ago stating I had won a tremendous amount of money. I ignored and deleted it because of all the scams that come out of Africa directed toward Americans thinking we will fall for anything.

Original Blog Entry: Lottery Scams

hosni — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:38:51 GMT

Following is an excerpt from the Lotto Buster Newsletter of 06-06-08. Very good advice.

LOTTO SCAMS...

HOW TO LOSE YOUR LIFE SAVINGS IN THREE EASY LESSONS.

I checked my email this morning and it looked like the standard assortment.

A couple dozen emails telling me how I can, get prescription meds without a

prescription, a few telling me how I can enhance my manhood, get bigger

boobs, have better sex, or refinance my house at 1% interest. Eddies wife

finally had the baby (a 7 lb. baby boy). And, what's this.. I have won 25

million dollars in the Ethiopian lottery!!!

Funny, I don't remember buying any tickets for a lottery in Ethiopia. In

fact I did not even know Ethiopia had a lottery. But it must be true because

here was an email from the Comptroller of Finances for the Ethiopian

National Lottery. All I had to do was reply with my name, address, and how I

wanted my winnings delivered.

This is just one of the ways a lotto con can start.

Lesson One - Email Cons:

The most common lottery con starts by your receiving an email that you have

won a large amount of money in a, usually foreign, lottery. You are normally

instructed that you should reply to the email with your name, address and

how you would like your winnings to be delivered. Most often, you are given

two choices; the money can be transferred directly into your bank account or

it can be delivered by courier.

If you reply that you want the money wired to your bank account, you will be

requested to send them your banks name, your account number, etc.

Congratulations, you have now supplied them with enough information to draft

all the money out of your account.

If you reply you want the money delivered by a courier, you will get an

email back informing you that you need to send the courier delivery service

a 'courier fee', usually between $300 and a $1000 dollars.

When you get an email telling you that you have won a lottery, ask yourself

a few simple questions.

1. How can I win a lottery I did not enter?

FACT: You cannot win a lottery that you do not enter. Lotteries do not pull

participants out of the phone book, off email list, or out of thin air.

2. Why is a rich lottery requesting me to reply to a HotMail.Com or a

Yahoo.Com email account?

FACT: Free email accounts are a favorite with con artist because it is next

to impossible to trace the identity of the owner.

Also be aware that, with $50.00 and a few hours work, a con artist can set

up an official looking web site for both the lottery and a courier company.

3. If I won all this money, why are they asking me for money? Can't they

just deduct it from my winnings?

FACT: Legitimate lotteries do not ask that you pay any money 'upfront'. All

fees and taxes assonated with a lottery win are deducted from the winnings.

4. How smart am I if I send total strangers money or financial information

about myself?

FACT: It takes surprising little information for a good con artist to clear

out your bank account or credit card.

Lesson 2 - Direct Mailings:

You open an interesting piece of postal mail from the Timbuktu Lottery

Commission. In it is a letter saying that you have won millions of dollars

in a lottery you never entered. What's more, the letter contains a bank

draft for $3,000.00.. now they have my attention.

A fast read of the letter will inform you that the $3,000.00 bank draft is

an advance on your winnings but in order to claim the entire jackpot you

have to pay taxes/fees of $2,300.00.

You are instructed to deposit the $3000.00 draft into your account and then

send the lottery commission $2300.00 to cover the taxes. Not a problem, you

are still $700.00 up. until the $3000.00 draft they sent you is bounced by

your bank (and deducted from your balance) because the draft is a forgery.

Again, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

1. How can I win a lottery I did not enter?

FACT: You cannot win a lottery that you do not enter. Lotteries do not pull

participants out of the phone book, off email list, or out of thin air.

2. Why do they not simply pulling the taxes/fees from my winnings instead of

sending money back and forth?

FACT: Legitimate lotteries do not ask that you pay any money 'upfront'. Any

fees or taxes assonated with lottery win are deducted from the jackpot.

3. Why must I send them money immediately, instead of waiting for their

draft to clear?

FACT: Legitimate lotteries allow you a minimum of 90 days to claim your

prize. Some Lotteries allow up to a year.

Lesson 3 - In Your Face Scams:

You have just finished shopping at the mall or grocery store when a stranger

(con artist #1), usually a Hispanic woman, approaches you. She/he has a

problem and could you please help? Being a Good Samaritan you are will to

help if you can.

The problem, con artist #1 explains, is that he/she has purchased a winning

lottery ticket but cannot cash it because he/she is an illegal alien and has

no papers.

A third person (con artist #2) approaches to see if he can be of aid. After

hearing the story con artist #2 suggest that if you cash the ticket, you and

con artist # 1 could split the winnings.

Con artist # 1 expresses fear that if he/she gives you the ticket, you might

keep it all.

Con artist # 2 says he knows an attorney that will draw up a contract but it

will cost money and could you (the victim) pay to have the contact drawn up.

The first stop is at the bank where you withdraw the money, anywhere from a

thousand dollars to what ever they can talk you into.

The next stop is to an office building where you are ask to wait in the car

while the con artist, and your money, disappear into the building to met the

attorney.

I can guarantee you that you will never see them again.

There are many variations of what is known as the Latin Lotto Scam but

they all have three common elements.

1. A person who has a winning lottery ticket

2. The inability of the person to cash the ticket for some reason.

3. You turning over your hard earned savings in the belief you are going to

share in the Jackpot.

Always remember three golden rules.

1. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

2. Investigate before you invest.

3. There is a sucker born every minute, don't be one of them.

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