GBP 800,000 from Google! Nope, it’s a Scam

Google helps you find answers to your questions; Google gives away apps for free; Google has an awesome hangout for you and your pals, but Google never pays you 800,000 British pounds! That’s right! One more online scam that has been making rounds on the Internet is the Google Award Email scam.

Have you received an email from Google, which threw you into a fits of oh-my-god-this-is-awesome feeling? Did the mail inform you that you have just won yourself an award of £ 800,000 from Google? Well, sorry for being a wet blanket, this is nothing but a scam.

If you have received any such email, then you might have read that a so-called “Google 15th Anniversary Award Center” has selected your email id as one of the few lucky winners for this grand prize.

You might also have noticed entries such as “Batch Number”, “Reference Number”, and “File Number” in it; projects a bit of authenticity, doesn’t it?

Now, till this point you may think that no harm is done. But the story starts getting fishy here. For you to claim the prize, you would have to mail some information to a certain email address. This info includes your name, country, contact address, sex, age, and telephone number.

So, let’s say you play along, and mail all these information to the said email address. What will happen is you will receive a follow-up email advising you that the final step to claim your prize would be to pay a certain fee. To sum up this entire drama, you give away a handful of cash in return for a bag full of it. Seems fair and nice, except that the bag is as good as your imaginary childhood friend!

So what can you do for such heartwarming but fraudulent emails?

  1. First, remember the saying “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”.
  2. Use reliable security software that blocks phishing and malicious emails.
  3. Upon receiving emails talking about such awards, cross check the information with the purported source. For example, in this case, run a Google search to verify if any such Google reward program does exist.
  4. Never divulge your confidential information like bank details except on trusted websites. [You can read this post where we have discussed safe online banking practices.]
  5. Have an eye for grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors in such types of emails. Fraudulent emails are usually full of them.

Quick Heal Security solutions employ powerful cloud-based email security feature that keeps phishing, spam and potentially malicious emails from reaching your inbox, across Windows and Mac platforms.

Rajiv Singha

Rajiv Singha

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54 Comments

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  1. Avatar Hrushi Sonar • June 29, 2013 at 10:09 AM

    Thank you Rajib Sir,
    For such helpfully information regrading the fake mails.

    Regards,
    Hrushi Sonar.

    Reply
    • Avatar S.GANAPATHY • July 1, 2013 at 2:00 PM

      Dear Sir

      Thanks for giving useful infirmation, I have been trying such mails
      and lost money

      Still I feel some of the mails are very attractive and tempting and
      it is a simple HUMAN NATURE

      with regards
      S.GANAPATHY

      Reply
  2. Avatar vijay • July 1, 2013 at 12:44 PM

    Thanks…sir…..

    Reply
  3. Avatar Raajesh Kumar • July 1, 2013 at 12:55 PM

    Thank you Sir,
    For such helpfully information regrading the fake mails.
    Regards,
    Raajesh Kumar

    Reply
  4. Avatar s v singh • July 1, 2013 at 1:11 PM

    respected sir
    I will take care about fake emails and thanks for your good guidiance.

    Reply
  5. Avatar ravi prakash • July 1, 2013 at 1:27 PM

    Thank you Rajib Sir,
    For such helpfully information regrading the fake mails

    Reply
  6. Avatar udayan • July 1, 2013 at 1:31 PM

    thanks a lot…

    Reply
  7. Avatar sk salimuddin • July 1, 2013 at 1:34 PM

    thank u

    Reply
  8. Avatar Surinder Singh • July 1, 2013 at 1:43 PM

    Thanks a lot for this vital information and valuable guidance. Regards. Surinder

    Reply
  9. Avatar MAHESH SANGA • July 1, 2013 at 1:53 PM

    THANKS.

    Reply
  10. Avatar Pankaj yadav • July 1, 2013 at 1:53 PM

    Thank you sir for your kind information,
    and thanks for giving knowledge regarding all these.

    Reply
  11. Avatar MAHESH SANGA • July 1, 2013 at 1:57 PM

    THANK U

    Reply
  12. Avatar Shovan Ray • July 1, 2013 at 2:33 PM

    Thank you again for this information

    Regards,

    Shovan Ray,

    Reply
  13. Avatar Dipak Ghatage • July 1, 2013 at 2:51 PM

    Thanx.. its really informative.. keep it up

    Reply
  14. Avatar janardan • July 1, 2013 at 2:53 PM

    this help full to all protect from fishing and other personal information

    Reply
  15. Avatar hrishikesh • July 1, 2013 at 3:19 PM

    hey i was received this type of mail

    Reply
  16. Avatar UDHAB • July 1, 2013 at 4:11 PM

    IT IS GREAT HELP FULL TOPIC FOR ALL EMAIL USERS.

    THANKING YOU,
    UDHAB.

    Reply
  17. Avatar Tamal Bachi • July 1, 2013 at 5:18 PM

    Thank you Rajib for this Information.

    Reply
  18. Avatar Abhisek Bhunia • July 1, 2013 at 5:24 PM

    Thnx…Rajib sir

    Reply
  19. Avatar MANOJ • July 1, 2013 at 5:36 PM

    Good information sir….;)

    Reply
  20. Avatar RAJ KUMAR • July 1, 2013 at 5:50 PM

    IT IS GREAT HELP FULL TOPIC FOR ALL EMAIL USERS & Thank you Rajib for this Information.

    Reply
  21. Avatar sunil shah • July 1, 2013 at 5:59 PM

    sir thank

    Reply
  22. Avatar Jitendra Sontakke • July 1, 2013 at 7:11 PM

    Thanks! for the information by given you sir.
    It is help to protect personal information for publishing.
    Thanks again……..

    Reply
  23. Avatar shaurya • July 1, 2013 at 7:24 PM

    thanks man for the information

    Reply
  24. Avatar Aruna Chandra Tripathy • July 1, 2013 at 9:00 PM

    Thanks for such a good suggestion.itis a boon to the internet users as well as to me. I shall be careful in future. Arun

    Reply
  25. Avatar Aruna Chandra Tripathy • July 1, 2013 at 9:08 PM

    Hello Rajib I think it is good for new user and learner. Arun

    Reply
  26. Avatar Aruna Chandra Tripathy • July 1, 2013 at 9:11 PM

    I am a lucky one for receiving such valuable information and instruction.Arun

    Reply
  27. Avatar NIRMAL • July 1, 2013 at 9:12 PM

    THANKSYOU

    Reply
  28. Avatar SANJAY DABI • July 1, 2013 at 9:27 PM

    Good information

    THANKING YOU

    SANJAY DABI

    Reply
  29. Avatar Tamseel Ahmed Khan • July 1, 2013 at 9:39 PM

    Amazing news….sir

    Thanks

    Reply
  30. Avatar Sanjay J. Kamble • July 1, 2013 at 9:43 PM

    Sir,

    Thanks for your guidance and made me

    secure…

    K. Sanjay

    Reply
  31. Avatar NARENDRASINH SARVAIYA • July 1, 2013 at 9:53 PM

    Thanks for giving useful infirmation, I have been trying such mails
    and lost money

    Reply
  32. Avatar Pramod Panigrahy • July 1, 2013 at 10:20 PM

    For nothing if Pounds & Dollars are falling in your pockets then IT raid is obvious. Do not show the key of your rupee treasury that may get emptied. So be careful & never be a miser.

    Reply
  33. Avatar Ms. R.Padmavathy • July 1, 2013 at 10:33 PM

    Thanks a lot for warning innocent customers for not getting tempted and to protect ones hard earned money

    Reply
  34. Avatar RAMESH.M • July 1, 2013 at 10:38 PM

    T IS GREAT HELP FULL TOPIC FOR ALL EMAIL USERS.

    THANKING YOU,

    RAMESH.M

    Reply
  35. Avatar Sainik Shiromani Manoj Dhyani • July 2, 2013 at 12:15 AM

    It is an important piece of information that can INSULATE one from the fraudlent e-mails. I thank you for advicing at the right time…thanks!

    Reply
  36. Avatar Bhupender singh • July 2, 2013 at 3:29 AM

    thanks

    Reply
  37. Avatar Parichay Chatterjee • July 2, 2013 at 7:06 AM

    Thanks! I receive those emails almost everyday! It ranges from coca cola awards to British government lucky draw.. The article is really helpful.

    Reply
  38. Avatar MANISH KUMAR YADAV • July 2, 2013 at 10:02 AM

    Thank You

    Reply
  39. Avatar Ravi • July 2, 2013 at 10:34 AM

    Thanks a lot for warning innocent customers for not getting tempted and to protect ones hard earned money

    Reply
  40. Avatar V K Gupta • July 2, 2013 at 10:38 AM

    Thank you very much for timely advise

    Reply
  41. Avatar Vinod D. Meshram • July 2, 2013 at 12:19 PM

    Thank you. Rajib Singha

    Reply
  42. Avatar vishal Sharma • July 2, 2013 at 12:55 PM

    Thanks for such valuable information given to all the customers. Please intimate us in future also.

    Reply
  43. Avatar ramraj • July 2, 2013 at 1:13 PM

    thanks……..

    Reply
  44. Avatar N J DONGRE • July 2, 2013 at 1:19 PM

    Thank you very much sir……….

    Reply
  45. Avatar Abhijit Pathak • July 2, 2013 at 2:12 PM

    thanks for your kind information sir……..

    Reply
  46. Avatar Abhijit Pathak • July 2, 2013 at 2:15 PM

    thanks for your kind information sir..

    Reply
  47. Avatar p.k.rana • July 2, 2013 at 2:21 PM

    i love you to every people buy the quick heal total security

    Reply
  48. Avatar tmadhavamenon • July 2, 2013 at 3:02 PM

    thank you. that is very helpful

    Reply
  49. Avatar ATAL • July 2, 2013 at 3:40 PM

    SIR,

    THANKS FOR SUCH A USEFUL INFORMATION I WAS JUST TRYING ONE OF THESE FAKE MAILS.THANKS FOR YOUR GUIDANCE WHICH MADE ME ………………SECURE………..

    WITH WARM REGARDS

    Reply
  50. Avatar Imran Khan • July 2, 2013 at 3:59 PM

    thanks very much for kind information.

    Reply
  51. Avatar AMARNATH SHUKLA • July 6, 2013 at 6:03 AM

    THANKS FOR SUCH A USEFUL INFORMATION I WAS JUST TRYING ONE OF THESE FAKE MAILS.

    Reply
  52. Avatar Ash • July 30, 2014 at 6:24 AM

    Am I screwed if I gave away info like name, address, sex, occupation, phone? No money info was given at all ….. am I ok?

    Reply
    • Rahul Thadani Rahul Thadani • July 30, 2014 at 9:57 AM

      Hi Ash,

      If you gave away such personal details, there is a chance they can be misused. However, it is good that you did not share any financial information. As of now, it is best to not worry about this.

      Regards.

      Reply

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