Lottery scams via email and how they operate
DO NOT REPLY TO EMAIL SCAMS
You may have received an email recently or sometime in the past that claimed you have won a lottery in Australia or some other part of the world for a substantial amount of money. Unfortunately, this is a common scam designed to prey on the natural inclination to believe the best even if it seems too good to be true. There are several factors common to this scam, some of which are listed below:
- The email is unsolicited. You never entered the draw, but the scammer will usually claim that your email address was found and added to the draw.
- Reference numbers will be given to give an illusion of authenticity. Obviously the problem with that is the fact anyone can quote a random string of meaningless numbers.
- Various countries will often be mentioned as involved in the process of giving you your winnings.
- You will be asked to keep discreet about the email, a sure sign that it is a scam. This is to avoid anyone advising you against further contact.
- The grammar of the email is likely to be very bad. Most large organisations are careful to keep official correspondence brief and grammatically accurate.
Latest Australian Lottery email scam news
If you have already continued correspondence, it is likely that the next email you receive will talk about difficulties in transfer that require you to pay some money before receiving your prize. The scammer may claim that there are regional taxes that need to be paid first or bank transfer fees. People who have fallen for this in the past have been swindled out of thousands of dollars as the amount they are asked for increases. Usually people are too embarrassed to report these incidences, but if you have been a victim of such a scam you should contact the appropriate authorities immediately.
DO NOT REPLY TO THE EMAIL, DELETE IT FROM YOUR INBOX
