Introduction:
There are so many scams out here/online. And scammers are reaching out to their potential victims through so many mediums like the Internet, telephone, and sometimes in person. The common mission of a scammer is to extract as much money as possible from their potential victims. People like senior citizens, teenagers, and young adults, are more than likely targets for these scammers. Unfortunately, some of them become victims unknowingly. And they won’t know that they’ve become a victim until it’s too late and they’ve lost out on they’re money. Or even they’re identity.
Today, we’re going to take a look at a scam that has been around for quite some time. The type of scam we’re going to cover today, is known as a lottery scams. These should not be confused with the lottery games that are played here in America. However, this is a type of scam in which the scammer will claim that you have been chosen for a grand prize, or something similar. Let’s dig into how this type of scam works and how you can protect yourself from becoming a scammers next victim.
The History Of Lottery Scams:
It’s uncertain when exactly these lottery scams began. But we can likely trace it back to a time when the Internet was rising in terms of popularity. During it’s infancy, the amount of users was smaller, compared to what it is now worldwide. Because of advancements in digital technology, scammers have moved away from traditional methods like contacting you by telephone. Scammers now use the Internet to their advantage to lure you in.
How Lottery Scams Work:
Keep in mind, that you cannot win the lottery without first purchasing a ticket. There is no such thing as an “email lottery”, or a lottery where no ticket is purchased. So, you’ll need to make yourself aware of this. Sure, you may not play the legitimate lottery. But, it’s a no brainer for players and non-players alike to know that it’s not how the whole thing really works.
At the outset, the scammer will email you explaining to you that you’ve entered some type of random drawing and won a grand prize (specifically a large amount of money). Right from the get go, the scammer will request you to send an undisclosed amount of money, in order to recieve your “jack pot”. The scammer will say that the money is an advance fee or application fee, that you need to pay before claiming the prize. But in reality, legitimate lotteries often subtract the money from your winnings for tax purposes, amongst other fees. However, the scammer will make up something to make it look like the charge is some kind of normal legitimate fee that all winners are obligated to pay.
These overseas, lottery scam emails often come from email addresses linked to free email accounts. These include, but are not limited to: Outlook, Yahoo!, Hotmail, Gmail, Live, or MSN. Basically, the scammer will have an email address that is linked to one of these free email services. What the scammer will also say to their potential victim, is to keep their winnings a secret. That’s because if someone were to mention that they won. money thru an email or phone call lottery, that person might tell the “winner” that it’s actually a fake.
If you receive an email or even look at a sample of a scammers email, you’ll notice that there are some inconsistencies. By inconsistencies, we mean that you’ll notice that an email might be sent to a UK citizen, telling them that they won a prize in US Dollars, in a lottery that’s located in a foreign country (i.e.–South Africa). In the UK, the currency they use is called “Pounds”. The US “Dollar” is not the official currency of South Africa. South Africas official currency is “Rand”.
Of course, the obvious giveaway of them all is the grammatical and spelling errors. These lottery scam emails are loaded with errors.
There are variations of this type of scam that exists too. For example, the scammer will inform the potential victim about a vacation they’ve won, a boat, or maybe even a brand new car. But lets use winning a 7 day/6 night Caribbean Cruise for example. What the scammer will do next is insert false scarcity. An example of this could be them telling they’re victim that they must respond within 4 minutes and if they don’t respond within a certain time period, they’ll miss out on they’re prize. This will trigger the age old fear of missing out in a potential victim.
At the end of the day, what the scammer is trying to do is extract as much personal information out of you as possible. After a victim calls the “agent”, they are asked to come to an office where they will receive more information about the trip. Maybe they won’t ask you to come in. They might just try to provide and also grab all of your personal information from over the phone. They might even try to charge you an “application” or “processing” fee, which they’ll say is supposed to be “normal”.
How To Protect Yourself From Lottery Scams:
The first way to protect yourself, is by using your common sense. But once again, the scammers often target teenagers, young adults, senior citizens, and those who may not have a complete understanding on how a scam works. They use “legit sounding” ways to gain access to your personal information. The goal for a scammer is to trick you into giving up your personal sensitive information by way of the internet,or over the phone.
Yes, this scam can sometimes take place over the phone. But typically, the Internet serves as ground zero for this evil lottery scam. In order to protect yourself or those who might be targets from this type of scam, you must be aware of the following:
- Your state lottery agency will not charge you to get your prize.
- A state lottery official will not contact you personally about you winning a prize. The only way they’ll know who the wimner is, is if someone has a winning ticket and informs the agency on their own accord.
- Lottery officials will not ask you for money upfront.
- There is no such thing as winning the lottery without purchasing a ticket.
My Final Conclusion On Lottery Scams:
Scams will continue to exist. We can’t change that. And they will continue to do so for as long as corrupt people exist. So It’s important for you and your loved ones to be aware of any and all scams that may exist, and protect yourself if you’re ever approachedby them. One of the old rules you should follow is “if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is”. Never under any circumstances give your personal information, or send money to anyone you do not know, over the phone or thru the Internet.
Do you have any experience with lottery scams? Have you been involved in a lottery scam before? Do you have any questions concerning my lottery scam review? If you do, please leave your comments or questions below, and I will be more than happy to get back to you. Thanks again for checking out my post, and good luck with your success online..
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