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duckman

Jacksonville Florida
United States
Member #23,017
October 6, 2005
1,111 Posts
Offline

Sep 11, 2013, 4:03 pm

The past couple of weeks has seen a significant increase in email and phone scammers including many that use the "You Have Won the Lottery" scams. The lottery you supposedly have won may be your own state lottery, an overseas lottery, or a non-existent lottery you have never heard of.

These scams usually ask for upfront money to pay "taxes and fees" or bank account and personal information to "transfer the funds to you".

Some of the scammers will also send you an official looking check to deposit as a good faith gesture and then want you to send some of the funds to a third party (the problem is the check is fake and may take weeks or months to be returned to you as not good and you are stuck owing the bank for the funds used).

These scams can come from email or phone calls. Some of the more sophisticated scammers use caller-ID spoofing that will show whatever they want to on caller-ID so you can't really trust it on something important.

---------------------------------------------------

Follow these rules and you will never get scammed:

* Anything that you have "won" or that is advertised as "free" should never require a payment of any kind nor should it ever require credit/debit/bank account money transfer, even if just for 1 cent.

* Treat ALL unsolicited emails as scams. Never respond to any of those unsolicited emails because if you do you will be put on more lists to get more scam and junk emails.

* NEVER click on ANY link in an email, even if you know who it is from. These links may look legitimate and the website they take you to may look official but that can be a scam website to get some of your personal information, passwords, or to offer you a product or service that you end up paying for but not getting. If you think it may be a legitimate email, exit the email program and go to the company's official website by typing in the internet address you know to be correct into your browser.

---------------------------------------------------

We have some email addresses set up just to get and monitor these scam and junk emails and usually get anywhere from 100-300 a day. ALL of them are scams in one form or another.

And the current #1 keyword used in the subject line of scam emails is: "Dr. Oz" (Dr. Oz is also on record as saying any emails that are not from his official website and use his name are fraudulent, unauthorized, and are scams)

The top scam email subjects currently are: weight loss, loans, dating, work at home, employment/job openings, save on healthcare, auto/home insurance quotes, warranty offers, and security systems. These are all scams and Lottery scams are making a comeback.

Even more troubling is the increase in phone scams to senior citizens (many of these calls are "you have won" scams). The Do-Not-Call program will not stop a scammer. As with emails, treat all unsolicited phone calls as scams.

No matter how good and enticing an unsolicited email or phone call offer may sound, don't believe it ... hit delete or hang up.
cash4ninja

United States
Member #141,254
April 9, 2013
1,390 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 4:09 pm

Were u scammed. Be honest?????
duckman

Jacksonville Florida
United States
Member #23,017
October 6, 2005
1,111 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 4:21 pm

Quote: Originally posted by cash4ninja on Sep 11, 2013
Were u scammed. Be honest?????

Thankfully not. When I was younger, I had a couple of close calls where had I not double-checked something I could have been scammed.

One of my passions has always been consumer rights and consumer affair issues. I think that comes from seeing several friends and relatives over the years lose money (relatively small amounts) to scammers. I really dislike the injustice of seeing anyone taken by a scammer. The more money I can help keep out of the scammer's pockets the better
rdgrnr

100

The Hall Of The Mountain Kings Tennessee
United States
Member #73,902
April 28, 2009
15,378 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 4:34 pm

That's why I only deal with Royalty.

Currently, I'm letting the deposed King of Nigeria use my bank account to hide his money from the crooks.

He's paying me millions just for using it.

Seems like a helluva nice guy.
maringoman

Massachusetts
United States
Member #37,432
April 14, 2006
2,747 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 4:36 pm

Quote: Originally posted by duckman on Sep 11, 2013
Thankfully not. When I was younger, I had a couple of close calls where had I not double-checked something I could have been scammed.

One of my passions has always been consumer rights and consumer affair issues. I think that comes from seeing several friends and relatives over the years lose money (relatively small amounts) to scammers. I really dislike the injustice of seeing anyone taken by a scammer. The more money I can help keep out of the scammer's pockets the better

I hate con artists but I also have little sympathy for con artist victims. Most of the times it is usually their greed that leads them to the scoundrel's hands. How can a rational person just trust a stranger on the internet so much so that they withdraw thousands of dollars to send to Jamaica?

That money's gone fo ever
Artist77

United States
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January 16, 2012
8,819 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 4:41 pm

Just got home and Dr. Phil has a show about people being catfished and sending money to Ghana, etc. How can anyone be so stupid. How can people fall "in love" with people they never met and who are also asking them to send them tens of thousands of dollars?
Artist77

United States
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January 16, 2012
8,819 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 4:42 pm

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Sep 11, 2013
That's why I only deal with Royalty.

Currently, I'm letting the deposed King of Nigeria use my bank account to hide his money from the crooks.

He's paying me millions just for using it.

Seems like a helluva nice guy.

lol lol
duckman

Jacksonville Florida
United States
Member #23,017
October 6, 2005
1,111 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 4:47 pm

Quote: Originally posted by maringoman on Sep 11, 2013
I hate con artists but I also have little sympathy for con artist victims. Most of the times it is usually their greed that leads them to the scoundrel's hands. How can a rational person just trust a stranger on the internet so much so that they withdraw thousands of dollars to send to Jamaica?

The best line of defense is to get people to start hitting the delete button or hanging up the phone (or not answering in the first place)...
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
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January 17, 2006
11,788 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 4:53 pm

Good stuff, duckman.

Another good thing to always keep in mind is no one is going to win a lottery they did not buy a ticket for or a sweepstakes they did not enter.

Those who run the lotteries love it when players look for consistency in something that's designed not to have any. So many systems, so many theories, so few jackpot winners.

There is one and only one 'proven' system, and that is to book the action. No matter the game, let the players pick their own losers.
maringoman

Massachusetts
United States
Member #37,432
April 14, 2006
2,747 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 4:59 pm

Quote: Originally posted by duckman on Sep 11, 2013
The best line of defense is to get people to start hitting the delete button or hanging up the phone (or not answering in the first place)...

I just iggy those emails. I have always known that whoever says lunch is free is a liar.

That money's gone fo ever
rdgrnr

100

The Hall Of The Mountain Kings Tennessee
United States
Member #73,902
April 28, 2009
15,378 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 4:59 pm

Quote: Originally posted by Artist77 on Sep 11, 2013
Just got home and Dr. Phil has a show about people being catfished and sending money to Ghana, etc. How can anyone be so stupid. How can people fall "in love" with people they never met and who are also asking them to send them tens of thousands of dollars?

You're probably right about them catfish in Ghana.

Plus I'd be scared o' gettin' Ghana-rrhea from them wimmins.
Artist77

United States
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January 16, 2012
8,819 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 5:01 pm

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Sep 11, 2013
You're probably right about them catfish in Ghana.

Plus I'd be scared o' gettin' Ghana-rrhea from them wimmins.

OMG lol lol

These were women being scammed and some still were not convinced when Dr. Phil even called one of them.
duckman

Jacksonville Florida
United States
Member #23,017
October 6, 2005
1,111 Posts
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Sep 11, 2013, 6:00 pm

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Sep 11, 2013
Good stuff, duckman.

Another good thing to always keep in mind is no one is going to win a lottery they did not buy a ticket for or a sweepstakes they did not enter.

Reminds me of a Jerry Seinfeld standup comic routine he did once:

"I have to tell you that I did get some very exciting news recently, and I don't know if I should really tell you exactly what it is because it's really not a definite thing yet.

(crowd cheers him on to tell them)

Well, I will tell you what I know so far. According to the information that I have in the envelope that I've received, it seems that I may have already won some very valuable prizes.

(audience applauds)

Well, thank you, thank you very much, well thank you. That's very nice to hear that. But, in all honesty, I have to say, I didn't even know I was in this thing. But, according to the readout, it looks like I am among the top people that they are considering.

You know, that's what annoys me about the sweepstakes companies, they always tease you with that, "You may have already won." I'd like once for a sweepstakes company to have some guts, come out with the truth, just tell people the truth one time. Send out envelopes, "You have definitely lost!" You turn it over, giant printing, "Not even close!" You open it up, there's this whole letter of explanation, "Even we cannot believe how badly you have done in this contest.""
Jill34786

Windermere, FL/Franklin, TN
United States
Member #50,208
March 1, 2007
843 Posts
Offline

Sep 11, 2013, 7:19 pm

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Sep 11, 2013
Good stuff, duckman.

Another good thing to always keep in mind is no one is going to win a lottery they did not buy a ticket for or a sweepstakes they did not enter.

So true! It's pretty hard to have a winning lottery ticket especially if you have never visited a particular country.

** Some people fulfill their dreams by receiving entitlements from the Government while others wake up and work hard for it! **
billionaire2bee

United States
Member #130,809
July 25, 2012
1,636 Posts
Offline

Sep 11, 2013, 7:38 pm

Quote: Originally posted by duckman on Sep 11, 2013
The past couple of weeks has seen a significant increase in email and phone scammers including many that use the "You Have Won the Lottery" scams. The lottery you supposedly have won may be your own state lottery, an overseas lottery, or a non-existent lottery you have never heard of.

These scams usually ask for upfront money to pay "taxes and fees" or bank account and personal information to "transfer the funds to you".

Some of the scammers will also send you an official looking check to deposit as a good faith gesture and then want you to send some of the funds to a third party (the problem is the check is fake and may take weeks or months to be returned to you as not good and you are stuck owing the bank for the funds used).

These scams can come from email or phone calls. Some of the more sophisticated scammers use caller-ID spoofing that will show whatever they want to on caller-ID so you can't really trust it on something important.

---------------------------------------------------

Follow these rules and you will never get scammed:

* Anything that you have "won" or that is advertised as "free" should never require a payment of any kind nor should it ever require credit/debit/bank account money transfer, even if just for 1 cent.

* Treat ALL unsolicited emails as scams. Never respond to any of those unsolicited emails because if you do you will be put on more lists to get more scam and junk emails.

* NEVER click on ANY link in an email, even if you know who it is from. These links may look legitimate and the website they take you to may look official but that can be a scam website to get some of your personal information, passwords, or to offer you a product or service that you end up paying for but not getting. If you think it may be a legitimate email, exit the email program and go to the company's official website by typing in the internet address you know to be correct into your browser.

---------------------------------------------------

We have some email addresses set up just to get and monitor these scam and junk emails and usually get anywhere from 100-300 a day. ALL of them are scams in one form or another.

And the current #1 keyword used in the subject line of scam emails is: "Dr. Oz" (Dr. Oz is also on record as saying any emails that are not from his official website and use his name are fraudulent, unauthorized, and are scams)

The top scam email subjects currently are: weight loss, loans, dating, work at home, employment/job openings, save on healthcare, auto/home insurance quotes, warranty offers, and security systems. These are all scams and Lottery scams are making a comeback.

Even more troubling is the increase in phone scams to senior citizens (many of these calls are "you have won" scams). The Do-Not-Call program will not stop a scammer. As with emails, treat all unsolicited phone calls as scams.

No matter how good and enticing an unsolicited email or phone call offer may sound, don't believe it ... hit delete or hang up.

I cant believe anyone is still falling for these scams...I watch every penny I earn and fight tooth and nail when I find a discrepancy...I also check my account everyday just to see what I have coming out, coming in, what's posted and what's pending LOL

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