An email lottery scam is a form of advance-fee fraud that typically begins with an unexpected email notification explaining something along the lines of you, winning a large sum of money in some type of lottery. The recipient of this "You have won!" message (the target of the scam) is also typically told to keep the notice he/or she received a secret because of "a mix-up in some of the entries' names and numbers" and to contact a certain "claims agent," after which he or she will be asked to pay transfer charges or processing fees so the winnings can be claimed or distributed. However, the victim of the scam will never receive any lottery payment.
Email lottery scams will often even use the name of a legitimate lottery organization or some other real, trustworthy company or corporation but this doesn't necessarily mean that the mentioned organization is in any way, shape, or form involved with the scam. Anyone with an email account can be a target of these unscrupulous activities online, but there are always ways to identify fake lottery emails and protect yourself from fraud:
• Being vigilant and using your common sense will go a long way in keeping yourself from being victimized by these types of scams. Unless you have bought a ticket, you can never really have won a prize. Email draws or lotteries where no tickets were ever sold don't exist. These scams are the invention of dishonest minds who want to victimize unsuspecting people.
• Scammers will ask you to pay a fee in advance to receive your price. Genuine lotteries will simply subtract those fees (and tax) from the prize. Regardless of what the entity claims the fee is for (whether it be for courier charges, imaginary certificates, or bank charges), you can be sure that they are 100 percent fabricated by the scammer to obtain money from you.
• Email lottery scams almost always come from free email accounts.
About the Author:
Mike Rana is the Chief Technology Advisor of Orion Network Solutions. Orion Network Solutions specializes in providing Computer Installation, Maintenance and Consulting services along with 24x7 help desk services for small and midsize companies. We provide network solutions that enable small businesses to not only lower their management cost but also increases employee productivity at the same low price. We offer network solution that becomes an integral part of your organization and can provide an increase in productivity of your organization.
Email lottery scams will often even use the name of a legitimate lottery organization or some other real, trustworthy company or corporation but this doesn't necessarily mean that the mentioned organization is in any way, shape, or form involved with the scam. Anyone with an email account can be a target of these unscrupulous activities online, but there are always ways to identify fake lottery emails and protect yourself from fraud:
• Being vigilant and using your common sense will go a long way in keeping yourself from being victimized by these types of scams. Unless you have bought a ticket, you can never really have won a prize. Email draws or lotteries where no tickets were ever sold don't exist. These scams are the invention of dishonest minds who want to victimize unsuspecting people.
• Scammers will ask you to pay a fee in advance to receive your price. Genuine lotteries will simply subtract those fees (and tax) from the prize. Regardless of what the entity claims the fee is for (whether it be for courier charges, imaginary certificates, or bank charges), you can be sure that they are 100 percent fabricated by the scammer to obtain money from you.
• Email lottery scams almost always come from free email accounts.
About the Author:
Mike Rana is the Chief Technology Advisor of Orion Network Solutions. Orion Network Solutions specializes in providing Computer Installation, Maintenance and Consulting services along with 24x7 help desk services for small and midsize companies. We provide network solutions that enable small businesses to not only lower their management cost but also increases employee productivity at the same low price. We offer network solution that becomes an integral part of your organization and can provide an increase in productivity of your organization.
