Residents Cautioned of Scam E-Mails Promising Lottery Prizes

The department of Monroe County Sheriff is asking residents to be wary of scam e-mails that are directing recipients for opening accounts, while asking for money in return. Actually the fake e-mails tell recipients that they've won a lottery prize so they must credit their check obtained from the company as also transfer funds for paying taxes, the department said. LaCrosseTribune.com reported this on May 21, 2011.

Specifically, the scam e-mails lure users with promises of prizes from lottery draws in other countries, however, demand payment vis-à-vis custom duties/taxes.

Characteristically, the above scams try to extract financial details or money from the so-called lottery prize-winners. But, the government of US never makes such communications. Rather if there's any information regarding lottery awards then it appear only on the government's website.

Moreover, several websites for various 'visa lottery' can actually be just fraudulent. These pledge to raise end-users' chances of being winners alternatively extract money from them in false pretexts. Indeed, if a search with the keyword "visa lottery" is done on Google then about 148,000 results emerge, a few possibly genuine, but the rest fraudulent.

Presently, scammers are reaching end-users who applied for visa, via e-mails announcing that they are winners of Visa Lottery.

Evidently, there's been an enormous rise in fraud related to Visa Lottery therefore, people require being utterly cautious in never replying to e-mail notices regarding associated awards. Most significantly, they mustn't wire money say through Western Union in response to e-mails supposedly from the government of America. Further, people must be cautious about individuals offering to still get persons eligible despite them being citizens of nations that aren't qualified.

Federal Trade Commission recommends consumers that they mustn't ever wire money to an unknown source, which can be a business, a long-lost family member or an online pal requesting for money.

Additionally, FTC urges everyone never to answer a text or e-mail message, which solicits one's financial or other personal information.

Notably, the FBI issued a warning that anybody worried of an online scam must report it to police. Scam victims can also seek help from FBI or the Federal Communications Commission.

Related article: Residents of Floyd County Receives Dubious IRS Tax Refund E-mails

» SPAMfighter News - 6/1/2011