Consumer Alert: Lottery and lotto scams, ripoffs and hoax emails



The following information is from the Queensland Golden Casket
but the same warning applies to all lottery, lotto, Gold Lotto and
Tattslotto players:


Beware of scammers




March 2011

Some of our customers have recently been targeted with a hoax phone call claiming to be from a Golden Casket representative. The caller advises that the customer is a winner and that they must pay for a prize cheque to be delivered to them. The customer is also asked to phone a number in Washington D.C, United States of America.

Under no circumstances should you respond to phone calls of this nature or provide any requested details. If you are a Winners Circle card member and you win a first division prize, a Golden Casket respresentative will phone you. Golden Casket does not ask winners to pay for prize cheques to be delivered.

Customers who have received a phone call of this nature and are concerned should contact the Golden Casket Contact Centre on 131 868.





March 2011

Mobile Phone Lottery Scam Alert
Golden Casket is appealing to players to be aware of a lottery scam, which takes the form of a mobile phone SMS message allegedly ‘notifying’ players of a ‘Powerball prize win’.

Golden Casket wishes to reiterate to players that it does not communicate prize wins via SMS or email.

Queensland players receiving suspicious mobile phone messages, emails or telephone calls from someone claiming to represent Golden Casket are encouraged to avoid:
  • paying money in advance to collect a ‘prize’;
  • revealing personal or banking details to unknown parties; and
  • replying to the message.
Suspected lottery scams should be reported to SCAMwatch on 1300 795 995 or at www.scamwatch.gov.au

Example hoax SMS 1:
Your mobile# has won $850000 from Power-Ball lottery. Contact Ray via email desk.raybachel@gmail.com with name address and ref. pb334212 for proceeds

Example hoax SMS 2:
To Mobile#........ has won $850000 from PowerBall. Contact Ray via email(desk.raybachet@gmail.com) Ref#PB334212 for proceeds OR call +27735182244




February 2011

Some of our customers have recently been targeted with a hoax email advising that they had won some money.

Under no circumstances should you reply to this email or provide any requested details via an email.

Golden Casket Lottery Corporation Limited does not send emails or letters requesting further information for payment of prizes. If you are a winner of a lottery prize awarded by Golden Casket Lottery Corporation Limited you can claim your prize at any Accredited Lottery Agent of Golden Casket within Queensland. If your winning entry is registered to a Winners Circle Card, a cheque will be mailed to you four weeks after the draw.

Customers who have received an email and are concerned should contact the Golden Casket Contact Centre on 131 868.

Example hoax email:
Thanks for your email. Please be informed that this winning funds of 1,750,0000 British Pounds is an unclaimed lottery payment which has been awarded to you since the year 2008 and due to the fact that you have been unable to receive your winnings, we have had some unknown people contacting us and informing us that you were dead and they are your next of kin in order for us to remit the funds to them.

As you can see, this did not happen due to the fact that we made further investigations and found out that they are impostors. Please we understand that you might have contacted Golden Casket and received informations that they do not know us which is as a result of the impostors who have been contacting us for your claims so to avoid any further loss of claims, it is better the Golden Casket Front Desk give you a wrong information about your claims as you are supposed to deal with your payment officer for this overdue payment which is my humble self. Also note that our office in Queensland Australia do not handle overdue or unclaimed payment as our office in Dublin, Ireland is assigned for this process for security reasons so be informed.

Please note that this lottery winnings is real and shall benefit you wholesomely as it has benefited so many of our clients both in the past and also now in the present. The reason why we have requested for your details is to enable us process your transfer documents and instruct our bankers to contact you for the transfer of your unclaimed winning funds of 1,750,000 Pounds to you. Do get back to us with the details so we can expedite your claims.

Thanks for your understanding.

Regards,
Chief Executive
Golden Casket Payment Office
Dublin, Ireland



December 2010

Some of our customers have recently been targeted with a hoax Facebook email message.

The email claims Powerball and the Facebook funds for deaf (PFFD) has selected TEN people every month who are active online as winners through an electronic balloting system without the winner applying. The email claims the recipient has won a sum of $50,000.00 and that you can check their affiliate site www.powerball.com to see the many winners. The email asks customers to fill in the form (see below).

Under no circumstances should you reply to this email or provide any requested details via an email.

Golden Casket Lottery Corporation Limited does not send emails or letters requesting further information for payment of prizes. If you are a winner of a lottery prize awarded by Golden Casket Lottery Corporation Limited you can claim your prize at any Accredited Lottery Agent of Golden Casket within Queensland. If your winning entry is registered to a Winners Circle Card, a cheque will be mailed to you four weeks after the draw.

Customers who have received an email and are concerned should contact the Golden Casket Contact Centre on 131 868.

Example hoax email:
Hi, your name is on the list, I am the claims manager of Powerball and facebook funds for deaf (PFFD). PFFD is a charity organization that helps deaf and hard of hearing. PFFD is in collaboration with the governing body of FACEBOOK by selecting all the people that are active online. Among the millions that subscribed to facebook, we select TEN people every MONTH as our winners through electronic balloting System without the winner applying, and your profile name has won you a sum of $50,000.00 we congratulate you for being one of the people selected, you can check our affiliated website, www.powerball.com there you will see many winners. To claim your winnings you need to fill the form below, for security reason and this form will help us locate you and also to deliver the money to the right person, so we need correct information from you.

Full name...
Full home address...
City name...
State...
Zip code...
Your Age...
Married/Single...
Pager Number...
Own house or rent apt...
What job you do...
Claims Manager
Desond Peter
Face Book Public Relation Office



August 2010

Some of our customers have recently been targeted with a hoax email. The email claims Powerball E-game 2010 has awarded L253,000.00 Pounds to your email ID.

The email asks customers to send their details for claims to Mr William Simon.

Under no circumstances should you reply to this email or provide any requested details via an email.

Golden Casket Lottery Corporation Limited does not send emails or letters requesting further information for payment of prizes. If you are a winner of a lottery prize awarded by Golden Casket Lottery Corporation Limited you can claim your prize at any Accredited Lottery Agent of Golden Casket within Queensland. If your winning entry is registered to a Winners Circle Card, a cheque will be mailed to you four weeks after the draw.

Customers who have received an email and are concerned should contact our National Contact Centre on 1300 556 646.

Example hoax email:
Powerball E-game 2010, has Awarded to your email_id L253,000.00 Pound, send us your
1.Full Name.2.Address.4.Age.5.sex.6.Occupation.7.Tel/Fax
For claims contact Mr William Simon Contact Email-: officer_powerball0174@yahoo.com.hk officer_powerball0174@yahoo.com.hk officer_powerball0174@yahoo.com.hk
Tel: +44 70457 30891



July 2010

Some of our customers have recently been targeted with a hoax email regarding a PRIZE for a Gold Lotto online promotion

The email asks Golden Casket Lottery customers to confirm a lotto win by emailing ASIA-CHINA AGANCY OFFICE.

Under no circumstances should you reply to this email or provide any requested details via an email.

Golden Casket Lottery Corporation Limited does not send emails or letters requesting further information for payment of prizes. If you are a winner of a lottery prize awarded by Golden Casket Lottery Corporation Limited you can claim your prize at any Accredited Lottery Agent of Golden Casket within Queensland. If your winning entry is registered to a Winners Circle Card, a cheque will be mailed to you four weeks after the draw.

Customers who have received an email and are concerned should contact the Golden Casket Contact Centre on 131 868.

Example hoax email:
GOLDEN CASKET LOTTERY CORPORATION ORGANISATIONS
87, IPSWICH ROAD, WOOLLOONGABBA QLD 4102. AUSTRALIAN
PRIZE AWARD ONLINE COMPETITION NOTIFICATION
PHONE 131 868 / 07 3877 1000
GOLDEN CASKET LOTTERY CORPORATION RESULT WON YOU $943,095.00
THIS IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WITH OUR ONLINE EMAIL PROMOTION RESULTS ON THE THIRD DIVISION WHICH WON YOU THE TOTAL SUM OF .......