Scam Alert! Facebook Online Lottery Email
If our readers can recall, we had put together a list of some common Facebook online scams that people fall prey to. Adding to this list is another scam that is doing the rounds on the Internet. We call it the ‘Facebook Online Lottery Scam.’ Here’s a brief about what this scam is all about.
A couple of days ago, I received an unsolicited email informing me about an online lottery that I just won. The email stated that, I was one of the eight lucky winners to have won a sum of $1,000,000 in cash. According to the sender, nine hundred thousand email addresses on Facebook were chosen for the lucky draw.
So, how do I claim this unbelievable-out-of-nowhere prize? It was easy. I simply had to reply to this sender (facebook.shares2014@lottery.com) with the following personal details:
- Full name
- Address
- Telephone number
I was also advised to keep this information confidential, otherwise, I would have risked getting unqualified for the prize.
The Real Story
While it always feels awesomely great to win a lottery or a prize, the above email is purely an online scam. It is just one of the sadistic tricks of cybercriminals to lure users with the ‘money carrot’ and trick them into furnishing their personal information including name, address, phone number, etc.
If I had replied to this email with the information they had asked for, then this is what would have happened.
The scammer would have replied asking me for a certain fee required for transferring the money into my account and probably my bank account details too. And If I had gone a step further, then I would have ended up losing my money to something that did not even exist in the first place; I would have been scammed!
We advise our readers never to respond to such unexpected or unsolicited emails, especially those associated with money. Be extra cautious against such emails that contain attachments or links. Clicking these would either take you to a phishing website or drop a nasty malware on your system.
See Also: Common Facebook Scams You Need to Know About
Leave your comments if you ever came across any such emails in the past. Stay safe!
54 Comments
in my mobile every week received lottery scam SMS last 2 year but i ignor.
Yes,if I had responded to all these “lottery” e-mails ,the amount I would have received would be so huge that it would have exceeded all monies others have!!Still so many foolishly part with their money due to their greed.
How could one win a lottery without buying a lottery ticket??
Earlier I used to get many emails declaring me the winner of this or that lottery. After some arrests in Mumbai, those mails become minimum which are directed to my trash. What problems bother me now are unsolicited disk cleaners,anti-virus checks and advertisements which enter the computer system by some unknown ways. I have installed your virus detection package but it is of no use. These trouble makers cannot be detected by your antivirus package.
Hi Richard,
We are sorry that you are not satisfied with our virus detection services. However, when it comes to spam emails like this, your mail settings are the most important things. Once you start blocking such mails and marking them as spam, they start getting redirected to the spam folder. However, once in a while such emails do creep in thanks to the techniques that are used by the malicious senders. After all, this email even reached our inbox. We hope you will continue to make use of our product and not be disheartened by this.
Best regards.
wow its a very nice
Your company is really doing a good job to aware about the cyber crimes and criminals hurting the people’s feeling’s and life.
I had received this type of mail several times, stating you have won £1000000 or you got iphone 5
The only thing I do is delete them without even opening them.
not belief i won
i not belif this mail. becoz I had received this type of mail several times.
I used to get many such mails before, and even now get such mails once in a while. The moment I see a mail from any unknown person, I do not even open it, but simply mark it as scam. I suggest other people do the same thing.
svs
I am repeatedly getting such mail. Since I am aware that they will ask further amount, I have never given such details. May be I am safe due to this. However such emails are coming regularly and one should not respond to such lottery type/some one died and no claim is received/they want to transfer the amount to some and share etc. etc. No one will give such lottery/free money to any one which one should aware.
I like this…..
Nice anti various
TIS VERY OLD TYPE MEWS .. NOW EVERY ONE KNOW THAT THIS TYPE OF MAILS CALLS AND SMS ARE FAKE……….AND WHO DOESN’T KNOW ABT IT AND DO SOMETHING FOE REDIM U NEVER TEACH THAT WHAT IS THIS…..FIRST OF ALL WHEN U DIDN’T PARTICIPATE IN ANY THIS TYPE OF CONTEST THEN HOW U CAN BE WINNER.. AH… FULLY IDIOT TYPE ………………..
thanks for scam alert
this types of message/mail comman things today life
This is very good anti virus because i use many time & many anti virus but this software is awesome.
Keep it up. Offering a value added service.
It is an excellent piece of information you are giving to your customers. Kindly notify even in likely virus infested mails that are common. thanx. I have been facing it but not responding it.Some people dare to use the name of Governor, Reserve Bank of India which I feel is the peak of nonsense!
Hi, Rajib
I’m also getting mails like you’ve won GBP 1,50,000 like that.
I want to know how to stop these scam mails…
Hi Pankaj,
The only thing you can do is block these emails when they come and report them as spam. Hopefully, when another email like this comes, your email filter will send them directly to the Spam folder.
Thanks.
I want renew my antivirus Plz give me the renewal code
Hi Ganesh,
For the renewal code you can contact our support center on 0-927-22-33-000. Or submit a ticket by visiting this link – https://www.quickheal.com/submitticket.asp.
Best regards.
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I had lost 80,0000 Rs in this matter.
Hi Narendra,
We hope that you filed a complaint with your local police station and were able to get the money back.
Best regards.
ok
I also got a phone message that the sender like to transfer about 7 milion dollars in my account to help the poor in my country, for that I have to contact on given mail.
Quickheal please protect from scams
quite better than other.
I repeatedly receive this type of emails from different addresses.At present I always avoid them though sorry to say once fell victim and it was due to purely one of my dearest friend’s stupidity.
Till date I am getting such many emails declaring me the winner of this or that lottery but i never responding.In general What problems bother me now are unsolicited disk cleaners,anti-virus checks and advertisements which enter the computer system by some unknown ways. I have installed your virus detection package but it is of no use. These trouble makers cannot be detected by your antivirus package. Request do some thing to stop unwanted software in my computer.
Thanks a lot for such alert.
.Till date I am getting such many emails declaring me the winner of this or that lottery but i never responding.In general What problems bother me now are unsolicited disk cleaners,anti-virus checks and advertisements which enter the computer system by some unknown ways. I have installed your virus detection package but it is of no use. These trouble makers cannot be detected by your antivirus package. Request do some thing to stop unwanted software in my computer.
Hello Sanjeev,
Thank you for bringing this to our notice. We would request you to get in touch with our support team so that they can look into the issue. You can contact them at 0-927-22-33-000. You can also raise a query at https://www.quickheal.com/submitticket.asp. Our support team will get back to you to resolve the issue you are facing.
Regards,
thanks for such alert
quickheal is very good.
Thanx for information
Thank you for giving such useful information, Even I have received two emails same as you told but in this email description was about Nokia phone.
Once I had a such email from South Africa based scam. I asked them if you trying to send money to my bank account why don’t you send some money through WU that I might have confidence in you that you are genuine and you intended man who trying to support my social work among the poor in India. After this there was any sound from this scam lobby.
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Hi Sunny,
Thank you for those kind words. We would request you to raise a query at https://www.quickheal.com/submitticket.asp. Our support team will get back to you to resolve the issue you are facing.
Regards,
NICE ANTI VIROUS SOFTWARE
I often receive such SMS on my mobile, Once I did receive such mail but I put it a spasm. Complements for educating people. WELL DONE KEEP IT UP
I did receive few SMS on my mobile and deleted them. Once I did receive such e mail, which was marked as Spasm. Complements for user education. WELL DONE KEEP IT UP
Till date I am getting such many emails declaring me the winner of this or that lottery but i never responding.In general What problems bother me now are unsolicited disk cleaners,anti-virus checks and advertisements which enter the computer system by some unknown ways. I have installed your virus detection package but it is of no use. These trouble makers cannot be detected by your antivirus package. Request do some thing to stop unwanted software in my computer.
Hello Madhu,
Thank you for choosing Quick Heal, and writing to us. Kindly contact our support team at 0-927-22-33-000.
You can also raise a query at https://www.quickheal.com/submitticket.asp. Our support team will get back to you to resolve the issue you are facing.
Regards,
strong antivirus
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