Beware of lottery frauds

Scammers may ask you to pay an advance amount or GST or income tax to claim the prize.

Lottery scammers will try to trick you saying you have won a lottery and on most occasions, people do not even realise that they never participated in that lottery. Scammers may ask you to pay an advance amount or GST or income tax to claim the prize. They will also request your personal details to prove your identity, but in reality, they will use this information to commit more social engineering crimes.

Fraudsters may ask you to call an automated number or to send a text to a phone number or to fill up an online form to claim your prize. They will provoke an emotional reaction while communicating with people over an email or telephonic conversations and in return, they will end up sending their bank details, address, credit card or personal information.

Scammers will also send you couriers containing glossy brochures and scratch cards claiming the card could be a chance to become a winner. To make it more believable, you are often the second or third prize winner. It’s important to note that fraudsters may send fake documents related to the Reserve Bank of India, GST Income Tax and Customs Department too.

Another common trick being used by scammers is sending fake vouchers and gift cards through email or text message or through social media platforms, saying you won a gift card from a reputed retailer, but you need to provide some details before claiming it. Lottery scams may use names of real overseas lotteries.

There are also travel prize scams that involve the scammer claiming you have won a free holiday. These free travel offers often have hidden terms and conditions that are worthless or the scammer will be offering you an ‘amazing’, ‘discounted’ holiday packages that just do not exist. Telemarketers 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 programme before you miss out on a prize, which is a clear 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 the SMS, email or courier received along with your identity details.

Top lottery scams:

• Scratch card offer
• Government lottery (RBI)
• Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) lottery
• Snap deal lottery
• Euro lottery
• Free holiday vouchers

How to safeguard yourself:

• Don’t click on short links sent by fraudsters through email or SMS
• Make sure websites start with HTTPS:// (Look for the padlock icon)
• Beware of attachments that you weren’t expecting
• Watch out if sender doesn’t address you by your name
• Never pay ‘advance’ for claiming a lottery prize
• Mind the fact that you cannot win lottery prize unless you purchase or participate in it
• Competitions and lotteries do not require you to pay advance fee
• Never transfer funds to unknown persons or organisations
• Ignore emails, texts, social media solicitations from Euro Lottery
• If you receive a courier that looks like lottery material, ignore it
• Beware of letters saying you won the lottery along with deadlines to claim the prize
• Ignore emails from Yahoo/Hotmail/Gmail saying you won a lottery

Stay Tuned to Cyber Talk Column for more on internet ethics and digital wellness brought to you by Anil Rachamalla, End Now Foundation, www.endnowfoundation.org

 

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