112th Precinct Community Council

Scam Warning

You could be a victim of a scam

YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE A VICTIM OF A SCAM.

The email I received stated: “Congratulations!” If I just followed the directions and contacted their transfer agent they would send me 6 million 5 hundred thousand British Pounds. The reality is that if I would provide my information, I could then be a victim of identity theft.

The text of the email read in part as follows:”

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Date: 12/30/04 4:35:53 AM Eastern Standard Time



From: The Lottery Coordinator,
International Promotions/Prize Award Department

Dear Winner,
…Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice,… We are happy to inform you that you have emerged a winner under the First Category.. The draws were held on 6th DECEMBER 2004 and results are being officially announced today. ….

You have therefore been awarded a lump sum pay out of £6,500,000 (Six million, five hundred thousand Great Britain Pounds),….

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your fund is now deposited with our transfer agents and insured to the real value. In your best interest and also to avoid mix up of numbers and names of any kind, we request that you keep the entire details of your award strictly from public notice until the process of transferring your claims has been completed, and your funds remitted to your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants/non participants of this program.

…Please contact your claims agent immediately for due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice:

You are advised to contact our agents by email and/or fax within a week of receiving this notice. …N.B: Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualification. Please do not reply to this mail. Contact your claims agent
_____________________________________________________________________________

This email is a scam. It is one of a group of scams that are used to try and get people’s personal information. Identity Theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country.
Do NOT be fooled. If you receive this email, it is a scam!
Do Not provide them with your bank information.
Do Not take money out of your account to prove that you are participating in good faith. Do Not give anyone your social security number.
Do Not call them

The Federal trade commission indicates that: Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, credit card number or other identifying information, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years - and their hard-earned money - cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities, be refused loans, education, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit.
The FTC advises: If you think your identity has been stolen, here's what to do now:
Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.The names and contact information of the credit bureaus are: Equifax - www.equifax.comTo report fraud, call: 800-525-6285 and write:P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 Hearing impaired call 1-800-255-0056 and ask the operator to call the Auto Disclosure Line at 1-800-685-1111 to request a copy of your report.Experian - www.experian.comTo report fraud, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) and write:P.O. Box 9530, Allen TX 75013TDD: 1-800-972-0322Trans Union - www.transunion.comTo report fraud, call: 800-680-7289 and write: Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634TDD: 1-877-553-7803
Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.
File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.
File your complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps us learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so that we can better assist you.
You can avoid being a victim of this scam.
Be Careful! Stay Safe!