Beware of Lottery Frauds :
- These scammers will try to trick you that you have won a lottery and often majority of the people don’t even realise that they have never participated in that lottery. Scammers will claim that you need to pay advances fees or GST or income taxes before your prize can be released to you. They will also request all your personal details to prove your identity for validation purposes, but in reality, they will use this information to do more social engineering crimes further.
- Many times Scammers will ask you to call an automated number or send a text to a phone number or fill up an online form to claim your prize. Scammers will provoke emotional reaction while communicating with them over an email or telephonic conversations and in-return unknowingly you will start sending your bank details, address, credit card, or personal information.
- Scammers send you couriers containing glossy brochures and scratch cards claiming the scratch could be a chance to become a winner. To make it more believable, you are often the second or third prize winner. When you try to call them to claim your prize, at this point the scammer will ask for fees or GST or income taxes to be paid before you can get your prize in hand. It’s important to note that scammers would send fake documents related to the Reserve Bank of India, GST Income Tax, and Customs Department too.
- Another easiest way, the scammers send fake vouchers and gift cards is through email or text message or a social media message claiming you have won a gift card for a reputed retailer, but you need to provide some details before you can claim it.
- Lottery scams may use the names of real overseas lotteries names and travel prize scams often involve scammer claiming you’ve won a free holiday and these free travel offers often have hidden terms and conditions that are worthless or the scammer is offering you amazing discounted holiday packages that just don’t exist.
- The telemarketers often call you to tell you that you have won a free holiday and request you to attend a meeting in a hotel. If you agree to attend, you’re likely to endure a high-pressure sales pitch and you are asked to pay or join a program before you miss out on a prize, which is a sign of a scam.
- If you are a victim of Lottery Fraud, kindly log on to www.cybercrime.gov.in and provide information of your Bank statements / Copy of SMS, Email, or Courier Received along with your identity details.
Top Lottery Scams, the scammers use :
- (a) Scratch Card Offer
- (b) Government Lottery (RBI)
- (c) (KBC) Kaun Banega Crorepati Lottery
- (d) Snap Deal Lottery
- (e) Euro Lottery
- (f) Free Holiday Vouchers
How to Safeguard Yourself :
- Never Click on Short Links sent through Email / SMS
- Click on Websites that start with HTTPS:// (Having a Pad Lock Symbol)
- There is an Attachment that you weren’t Expecting
- Sender doesn’t address you by name
- No Need to pay advances for winning a lottery prize.
- We cannot win money in a lottery or competition unless we have purchased or participated personally.
- Competitions and lotteries do not require you to pay an advance fee to collect winnings.
- Never transfer funds to unknown persons or organisations in anticipation of high returns.
- Ignore all emails, texts, and social media solicitations from Euro Lottery.
- If you receive a courier that looks like lottery material Just ignore it.
- Lottery winning letters have the deadline to claim the prize otherwise it will soon expire.
- Ignore emails from Yahoo, Hotmail, or Gmail claiming you have won Lottery.
