Many countries have adopted lotteries for fund raising purposes to provide additional resources to improve and support different charitable programs. For every lottery ticket purchased, a portion of the ticket sale proceeds to a priority project for a good cause and the rest of the money is collected for the jackpot. Typically, hundreds, thousands, even ten thousands of tickets are sold everyday across a given country or state, summing up huge jackpots. The larger the jackpot gets, the more people are tempted to play. Yet in many cases it can be said that organized crime itself with its “number games” gave you a better kick at the cat. Government lottery and gaming officials hide, as bureaucrats behind the alleged doors of governmental crown corporation powers. Worse yet you may bit the jackpot of telephone tag and unanswered voice mails, if you dare have a question or query of the “authorities”. However as more than one businessman or person has pointed out the governmental gaming authorities are able to run their “businesses” in a way and manner that no private operation could do. Indeed it could be said that if a private company tried to run their enterprise in this manner , and making the bold claims and promises that governmental lotteries and power ball operations do – that they would not even be able to open their business or base of operations. At least in Las Vegas some point out – that even as compared to the stock market – that you at least have a fair chance of “winning”. Others point out that the casinos of Las Vegas and Atlantic City were not made on the winnings and takes of gamblers.
One of the most enticing email messages you could get might belong to this group of unsolicited emails. You might find a letter about an Online Lottery or Sweepstakes Drawings done internationally. Its purpose is to notify and congratulate you because you’ve been one of the lucky people who won a previous lottery drawing. It tells you how you won, your winning numbers and other details. Theirs is also instruction on how to claim the prize which should be done as soon as possible. You might find yourself taking risk of providing your personal information including your banking details, passport number, and even your sss number because that’s how the instruction tells you to do in order to claim your prize. You might also be instructed to call a number and report to the agent in charge of your winnings and totally fall to this classic internet fraud.
If you are a regular player, you must also be aware of how other people use its popularity to make money and scam lottery hopefuls. A lottery scam is one form of advance-fee fraud which basically commence with an unsolicited email notification that you hit the jackpot or you have been one of the winners of a recently held drawing. The winning notification instructs the recipient of the message to keep the notice confidential for security purposes. The email notification includes a contact number of a person you should reach for additional instructions on how to claim the prize. Eventually, once you decided to call the person, the agent will ask the “winner” for processing fees or transfer charges in order to send the lottery winnings but you will never receive any lottery payment.
Fraud winning lottery emails ask for banking details, a huge amount of personal information, and copies of your driver’s license and passport as part of the claiming process. If you have given this essential information, you might be a victim of identity theft. Beware that lottery scammer use legit names of lottery organizations, be smart and learn to react appropriately.
Winning the lottery is like 1:1,000,000 chances. Although it’s possible that you could win, in reality the chance is so low. So be extra cautious in replying a suspicious email lottery winning notification; the information that you might provide maybe used against you or to future email scam victims.
