BBB Cautions about Fake Lottery E-mail Aiming at Facebook Accounts

BBB or Better Business Bureau is cautioning of one fake e-mail that Mark Zuckerberg, Founder of Facebook has supposedly sent to the social networking site's users, reported bbb.org in news dated October 19, 2011.

Mentioning of a lottery win, the scam electronic mail asserts that the reader has won $1m within Facebook's "2011 Sweepstakes."

Continuing further, the bogus Facebook e-mail tells the recipient that his e-mail id is included inside the European representative agency of Facebook within Amsterdam, The Netherlands like it is shown within his play coupon, while his prize money valuing USD1,000,000 will reach him from the UK's local branch office.

However, not unsurprisingly, for getting the cash prize, the e-mail directs recipients for following a given web-link.

In addition to this, the e-mail as well says that Facebook urges all winners for maintaining the news secret, to keep security intact, till the time of their claims' treatment as also till they receive the prize, while also cautioning that any confidentiality breach by the winners can mean ineligibility and therefore disqualification.

Better Business Bureau outlines that the fake sweepstake electronic mails aren't from Facebook.

The bureau thus cautions recipients that they mustn't hit the web-link as it can result in malware that is malevolent or harmful programs or files getting pulled down onto end-users' personal computers.

The agency further says that a number of indications exist, which prove the e-mail as another fraud.

First, companies don't e-mail customers from nowhere to tell they are winners of a lottery award. Often, famous personalities' and reputed companies' names are utilized within lottery scams for making it appear as though the lottery is genuine, despite no link actually existing with the named personality or company, similar as Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg's names getting abused within the above instance.

Secondly, no prize winner will be directed for following a web-link within an unanticipated electronic mail for acquiring a prize, like it's occurring within the above mentioned instance.

And lastly, the warning about secrecy is a trick for preventing users from verifying from authorities or seeking advice from somebody they trust, BBB emphasizes.

Related article: BBA Outlines Steps To Ward Off Online Fraud

» SPAMfighter News - 10/28/2011