Congratulations! You've won the Facebook lottery!
At least, that's what the following email claims.
The email says that you can turn up in person at an address in London to claim your prize, but you will have to confirm your identity and eligibility.
If you don't want to visit London, then you can choose to pay a mere £385 to have the necessary paperwork couriered to you.
for your convenience, we can have your Facebook Claim Paper Work sent to you via our contracted Courier Service for signing and then send back to us to effect immediate release of your Winning. But note that you are to bear courier charges of this option which attracts the sum of £385 British Pound, only to be paid if you decide to settle for the Facebook Claim Paper Work to be sent to you via our contracted Courier Service. Please note that the £385 British Pound courier charges includes insurance and tax fees, as the paper work in question is highly confidential and needs to be insured for safety measures.
Hmm.. So, you've won a lottery but the company awarding you the prize won't stretch to having something couriered to you? Never mind! It's sure to be covered by your prize winnings, right?
Although the phone number given in the email looks, to the casual observer, to go to a UK mobile phone it actually could be redirected anywhere in the world. The 0770 number is registered with British firm Cloud9, which offers international mobile services.
In short, you think you're phoning Facebook in London - but the phone could be being picked up by Fabian in Nairobi.
If you do call that number, chances are that you will be asked to share personal information and perhaps even conned into paying a fee in advance for the paperwork to be couriered to you.
In short, it's a scam. You never entered a Facebook lottery - so why do you think you've won one? Remember - you cannot win a lottery you haven't entered.
Lottery scams are not new, but they continue to occur because there are plenty of vulnerable people at risk of handing over their personal information or giving money to scammers in advance of their promised winnings.
Make sure that you keep informed about the latest scams spreading fast across Facebook and other internet attacks. Join the Sophos page on Facebook, where over 140,000 people regularly share information on threats and discuss the latest security news.
Follow @gcluley
Thank God Graham wrote "...Fabian in Nairobi" and not "...Mark in Nigeria". It feels good to know that not everyone has fallen for the scam stereotypes about Nigerians. I am Nigerian and we are just like every other person out there: hardworking, nice and of course like every other national, some crime occur. Meanwhile...
This article is very important as it is ridiculous when people fall for such scams when they never entered a lottery in the first place. I just shared this article in the hope that it will save some *vulnerable* folks out there. Please, after working hard for your money, don't throw it away trying to multiply it.
Thanks nakedsecurity.
Thank God, I didn't fall for this as well. There is a woman who messages me everyday about getting money from me, to send to Nigeria, for claims to a lottery winning, lol.
I have told her countless times that this is a scam, and why its a scam. Oh how she promises it isn't lmao, she is getting hard up, so it seems. I have received countless emails already from the fed ex person in Nigeria lol, oh an agent. Then a an email from Mark Zuckerburg, or so they make it seem like its from him. Right, they don't give an inch to claim such prizes lol. Well, she said, I was warned not to tell anyone about this. I went to a live site and let a lawyer know about this, but hey they wanted money as well, so no reply there. I was told not to go to the FBI, because they are aware of this wow! Think I might try the attorney generals office if they don't stop bugging me.
Since when, do you pay for a lottery winning? You normally pay the IRS and any taxes due right when you win, not sending money grams or such. I would like to know who or where I could send my emails in order to catch these people. Any Ideas? Thanks for reading. Guest
Good to see you back in wordpress.com "Readomatic". Missed the convenient articles.
and to think they have a london address? hello. facebook is a US company.
Well, Facebook does have offices around the world.
Yes. This scam is quite real. A friend received such an email and naturally ignored it. Obviously you win a lottery only if you buy tickets and enter in.
If I go there in person, will I save the courier fee?
I have received a total of 6x different 'lottery win' offerings over the past year alone from nokia to now facebook. I ask you what will they think of next. And how do they get our email & cell numbers in the 1st place?
Annoyed
People are idiots you don't just get money handed to you on a silver platter with out playing the lotto.