![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() |
Security Information |
|
![]() |
Lottery Scam, What It is and how to Avoid It?
Internet scams and frauds are on the rise! The quantity of scam emails with various fraud schemes any email account receives today is simply overwhelming! There is this infamous Nigerian 419 scam, which is by far the most widely circulated one. I wrote about it in one of our ezine articles not long ago. You can read about it here! And there are many other scams like Lottery, Letter of Credit, money transfer, black money conversion, real estate, fraudulent order and the list goes on and on. Looking at my daily doze of scam letters, looks like, the lottery scam seams to be gaining popularity among the con artists. This scam is similar to other forward fee schemes, where the goal of the con artist is to persuade an unsuspected victim to send an advance payment for some dubious offers that the swindlers never plan to fulfill. Email Lottery Scam The subject of the emails from an unknown source to you will, probably show, something similar to, "Congratulation! You have own a lottery". With minor variations the text in most of these letters is virtually identical. The letter, usually, claims to be issued by a Lottery Company based in some countries like The Netherlands, Switzerland, England, Canada or the USA. And then it says that you are one of many people randomly chosenfrom all over the world to participate in a lottery of a very large sum. You along with some others have won this lottery. You will be asked to contact them immediately to claim your prize money. Most certainly, the letter will also warn you to keep this as a secret and will specify that the offer has a time limit. If you contact them after receiving this letter; there are number of variation how the thugs will try to swindle you. They are quite imaginative and sometimes very innovative in their endeavors. In general the idea is - you have to pay a fee before the lottery company can release the amount to you. The pretexts are, usually, an investigation company has to make sure that you are the right person who won the lottery, as a foreigner you have to pay a tax before you can get your prize and there is a processing and handling fee that has to be paid before hand, etc. Don't think that these dubious offers are only sent by emails. People received them by regular mails, by direct phone calls and even by SMS. Phone Call Lottery Scam One fine morning you may receive a call from a person, claimingto be a lawyer from a prestigious law farm, and will tell you that you have won a foreign lottery; that a processing fee is due before the prize money can be released to you. The seniors are most likely to be the victims of these telemarketers. If you are located in the USA, most likely, the person will introduce himself as a Canadian lawyer and will inform you as if you have won a Canadian Provincial Lottery. Lottery Scam by SMS You may even receive a SMS message advising that you have won a foreign lottery. You will be instructed to log onto a website and enter a login and password, which would be provided to you in the message. The site will have the same look and feel of a legitimate lottery site, but in fact, it is a copy site created by the scammers. The URL address will have a very minor, virtually, unnoticeable difference. Once you log in and see for yourself that you have really own the lottery, you will be asked to forward a gaming tax of US $100 to US $500 before you claim your prize. How to identify these scams and avoid being conned? The number one motto that you should follow is - if it is too good to be true, then probably, it is indeed too good to be true! There is no way you can win a lottery, in what you have never participated! The followings are the signs of probable scam offers, you will be better off if you avoid them scrupulously: Any offer, where you have to send cash upfront to redeem you prize. Any offer of a substantial percentage of a large sum of money to be transferred into your account, in return for your "discretion" or "confidentiality"; Requests for signed and stamped, blank letterhead or invoices, or for bank account information; Requests for payment in advance of transfer taxes or other fees;Statements that your name was provided to the soliciting party either by someone you do not know or by "a very reliable contact;" Unsolicited calls asking if you would like to be in a "Lottery pool"; Mail notifying you that you have already won a substantial sum of money. Nowshade Kabir is the founder, primary developer and present CEO of Rusbiz.com - a Global B2B Exchange with solutions to create e-catalog, Web store, business process management and other features to run a business online. You can read various articles written by Nowshade Kabir at http://ezine.rusbiz.com.
MORE RESOURCES: Why NHIs Are Security's Most Dangerous Blind Spot The Hacker News Security Alert: Los Cabos and La Paz, Baja California Sur U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico (.gov) Belarus Weekly: Russian, Belarusian security services plan violent attacks on Belarusian diaspora The Kyiv Independent Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Political and Humanitarian Situations in Syria United States Mission to the United Nations (.gov) Summit on the Future of Energy Security IEA – International Energy Agency Defense Officials Outline AI's Strategic Role in National Security U.S. Department of Defense (.gov) He was an undercover cop and Dennis Rodman’s security guard. Now, he keeps the Phillies safe Police1 Everything You Need to Know About the Air Defenses Protecting World Leaders at the Pope’s Funeral The Aviationist Signalgate lessons learned: If creating a culture of security is the goal, America is screwed theregister.com NSA targets OT cyber risks with new smart controller security standards for national security systems Industrial Cyber Allegiant flight attendant finds bomb threat just before St. Pete-Clearwater International departure: Sheriff FOX 13 Tampa Bay Get to know new security leaders at OSU-CHS Oklahoma State University Legislature should provide lobbyists with key fobs to bypass new Capitol security screening The Alaska Landmine US House Committee subpoenas Chinese state telecoms over data privacy, national security concerns Industrial Cyber Inside the Fiasco at the National Security Council The Atlantic Safeguarding Your Corporate Leaders Against Rising Security Threats: FP’s Guide on Executive Protection Fisher Phillips ATA Transportation Security Council Recognizes Fleets American Trucking Associations Mobile Applications: A Cesspool of Security Issues Dark Reading Ukraine, allies working on security guarantees potentially similar to NATO Article 5, Zelensky says The Kyiv Independent New Security Perimeter Around Mt. Kolang Gaz La Secret Nuclear Tunnel Complexes Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) Hyosung Urges Operators of All ATMs to Follow Previous Security Guidance Due to Large-Scale Cyberattacks Business Wire Court grants NM Tech student temporary restraining order against Homeland Security Source New Mexico US Donates Decommissioned Cutters to Tunisia to Bolster Regional Security The Maritime Executive DOJ’s Data Security Program Final Rules Effective – Implications for Telecom Providers NatLawReview.com Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Haiti United States Mission to the United Nations (.gov) Trump Should Have Stuck With Border Security, Not Mass Deportations New York Magazine UN Security Council condemns Jammu and Kashmir terror attack Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs King County Security Tips – “Google” yourself kcemployees.com Fiesta goers can expect increased security at main events Texas Public Radio Homeland Security, Riverside County deputies raid business in Pomona FOX 11 Los Angeles Security increased in disputed Kashmir as India vows to punish perpetrators of attack that killed 26 PBS California security firm CEO, workers charged after woman forcibly removed from Republican town hall Los Angeles Times Footage Reveals New York-To-Paris Delta Flight Stowaway Getting Through Airport Security Travel Noire National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology’s Final Report Includes Recommendations to Boost Economy and Protect National Security NatLawReview.com Judges Worry Trump Could Tell U.S. Marshals to Stop Protecting Them The New York Times Rome Health to install new security systems Rome Sentinel Joint Press Statement on United States-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Security Coopera U.S. Department of Defense (.gov) Pete Hegseth’s bad calls: Unfit defense secretary is a major security risk New York Daily News Anton’s Security Blog Quarterly Q1 2025 Security Boulevard Associated Press: Civil rights groups sue to restore jobs at Homeland Security oversight offices that were gutted Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Climate and National Security: Bridging the Divide in Energy Policy Columbia Business School NSA Publishes Recommendations for Smart Controller Security Controls and Technical Require National Security Agency (.gov) Yes, You Can Take Water Through Airport Security—Here's How Travel + Leisure Temple University stepping up security after several students assaulted near campus last week CBS News Trump administration highlights economic growth and national security wins in April 2025 Fingerlakes1.com Windows "inetpub" security fix can be abused to block future updates BleepingComputer Verkada launches executive protection offering Security Systems News New Syrian foreign minister attends UN Security Council in first US appearance since Assad's fall AJC.com Linux 'io_uring' security blindspot allows stealthy rootkit attacks BleepingComputer Increased Security at City Courthouses? Unanswered Questions Baltimore Witness The Role of Smart Security Systems in Addressing Healthcare Demands Security Sales & Integration ‘We need to apprehend him’: $10K reward offered for Family Dollar ‘security guard’ who killed man WSB-TV |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
Is Your Email Private? Part 1 of 3 In a word, no - an email message has always been nothing more than a simple text message sent unencrypted to a recipient we choose. So all the email that we so blithely send all over the Internet everyday is neither private nor secure. HackAttack P C. owners are constantly at risk from attacks by hackers. Dont Allow Hackers to Take Out Money from Your Bank Account If you know what is the 'Fishing' then it's very easyto understand the definition of 'Phishing'. Justreplace letter 'F' from the word Fishing with 'Ph'. An Open Letter From a So-called Stupid Someone recently told me, "You would have to be a stupid to lose your personal information." While I respectfully responded to this person in the moment, the comment has stuck with me. Whats All This I Hear About Firewalls? At this point, if you've got the whole "turning the computer on" thing down; you are ready to learn about firewalls. Whether you use your computer for business or pleasure, it is important to have a firewall. Computer Viruses, Worms, and Hoaxes In recent days, I was one of the unfortunate persons to receive the "Mydoom" worm emails. Not just one, but at least forty appeared in my popserver mailbox. Is Spyware Watching You? Imagine my surprise when I received a phone call from afriend who told me he'd been the victim of a "spyware"attack that left him shaking at his loss of privacy.I listened to his horror story with a sympathetic ear, butI felt secure since I carry anti-virus software and afirewall (both by Norton). A Basic Introduction To Spyware Spyware is the most troublesome software to appear on theInternet in recent times. When spyware infects a computersystem, it may be relatively harmless or it may bedevastating. Are They Watching You Online? When surfing the Internet you probably take your anonymityfor granted, most of us do.Tapping phones, listening to confidential conversations,reading others' e-mail messages seems like something thatonly happens in spy movies to "other" people. If You Steal It, They May Come! Business on the internet is getting down right shameless. This week, my email box was literally filled with hype, overly inflated promises, phish mail, scams, ezines I did not order, and about 14 viagra gimmicks. Firewalls: What They Are And Why You MUST Have One! A firewall is a system or gateway that prevents unauthorized access to your computer or private network. It is usually the first line of defense in protecting your private information or data. Computer Security What is computer security?Computer security is the process of preventing and detecting unauthorized use of your computer. Prevention measures help you to stop unauthorized users (also known as "intruders") from accessing any part of your computer system. Why you Must Secure your Digital Product and Thank You Web Page A couple of years back, I paid my dues the 'hard way'.My web site was up and running, the sales letter had been 'crafted' with the most influential marketing techniques and the profits had been consistently coming-in, until. 3 Things You Must Know About Spyware 1)Spyware is on your system. Like it or not, statistically speaking, you probably have spyware on your machine right now. Money Mule Email Scam Hits U.S. Imagine this - you open up your email box and an international company is offering you a dream job - you can be an agent for them - a financial intermediary - receiving payments for them and transferring money to them, and, naturally, keeping a commission on each transaction.There's no investment, no money required. New Mass Mailing Spamming Internet Trojan for the Windows Platform May. 16th 2005 - MicroWorld has reported the discovery of Troj/Sober-Q, which is a mass mailing spamming internet Trojan for the Windows platform. The One Critical Piece Of Free Software Thats Been Overlooked Can You Prevent Spyware, Worms, Trojans, Viruses,.. Types Of Computer Infections Computer infections can be broken up into 4 main categories which are explained in detail below:VirusesComputer Viruses are small pieces of software that attach themselves to real programs. An example would be a virus that attaches itself onto windows explorer. With the Rise of Internet Crimes, Users are Turning to High-Tech "PI's" for Solutions High-tech private investigators are becoming the answer for many Internet users who have been victimized online. The use of e-mail by that unethical element lurking in cyberspace rings all too common these days. Identity Theft - Dont Blame The Internet Identity theft - also known as ID theft, identity fraud and ID fraud - describes a type of fraud where a criminal adopts someone else's identity in order to profit illegally. It is one of the fastest growing forms of fraud in many developed countries. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 |