Smarter Scams in Competitions

If, like so many others, you’ve received a winning  notification giving you that amazing news of your 3 million Euro lottery in some far flung  country - don’t laugh, the scams are getting  smarter.

Scammers will usually work on a principle of casting a wide net,  expecting only a miniscule response, still enough to yield big returns.  We’ve been educated to not accept any email from our bank requesting us to log in (especially from those we don’t bank with).

But, what if your bank sent you an email,  asking for some relatively easy information,  giving you the chance to win a large cash prize.  On the surface, this seems simple and of the small risk.  After all, you’re not being asked for your credit card, or a pin number …. What could be the harm?

In fact, the danger may be far less than  those requiring financial list, but chances are you are giving over your personal information to an ‘Info-Harvester’.

Info-Harvesters work on the basis of getting as much real information as possible,  then either using that information to on-sell to others, or use for themselves.

Competitions may seem like a good way to gain this information.  After all, in regular entry forms it’s no unreasonable to ask for your full name, address,  phone  number,  age, and your gender. 

Here’s the problem.  Most countries will have quite stringent anti-spam laws, but many don’t.  Providing personal details to Info-Harvesters are the best (or worst) way to subscribe and confirm your details to any spam merchant who wants it.  Spammers generally don’t play by any rules, so you can be sure that your Inbox (and mailbox) will be crammed with information  that you will never be able to cancel.

Avoiding Info-Harvesters is as easy as looking out for these warning signs:

·          If you receive an email from a business you haven’t dealt with, hover your mouse over any web link – chances are you will see some strange results

·         Any contest should have terms and conditions, with appropriate licenses.  Lack of details is a sure sign to stay away.

·         Offers that come in from countries other than your own can be a hazard.  Your own country may have laws governing prize draws, and cannot legislate against those held from outside its borders.

The best rule of thumb is to be suspicious of every offer, no matter how reputable the sender may appear.