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Scams
Did you really win a BMW? No you didn't!
Beware of a new Promotion Scam
An email with the subject BMW PROMOTIONS is circulating through the email world.
The email says the recipient was selected to win a BMW 5 Series M through a random drawing. It includes phone numbers, id numbers, and a bunch of other 'stuff' that makes it all look very official.
SEE THE FULL TEXT OF THE EMAIL HERE.
SEE AN EXAMPLE OF THE EMAIL HERE
Beware... This is a common scam. You, unfortunately, didn't just win a shiny new BMW. Rather you were just randomly targeted for a common scam that will lead at a minimum to a new case of Identify Theft.
Scams like this are common. Similar emails declare that you have won the European Lottery or were the winner of some other great prize that.
How do you know this is a Scam?
Here are some simple things you can look for when you receive any email that seems too good to be true.
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Is it too good to be true? What are the odds that you were randomly chosen to win a prize like this. Unfortunately the odds are slim that you've won anything but a scam attempt.
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Did you enter the promotion? It's unlikely that anyone would give you a new car, or a $100M if you'd even enter a contest.
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Does the email look 'legitimate?' While even an 'official' looking email can be fake, there are some great tell-tell signs you can look for.
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What is the return email address? It should be to a domain you can confirm belongs to the company you think you are dealing with. In the BMW example the return address is bmwclaimscc@aim.com. A real BMW representative is not going to have a free AOL, Google, or Hotmail address.
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What information do they want you to provide? A legitimate sweepstakes will likely already have your information. The fraudster wants you to give them personal details so they can commit fraud against you. In the BMW example they ask you to provide Name, Address, Sex, Age, email, occupation, company, etc. Those are the types of details a criminal uses to steal your identity.
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How well formatted is the email? Does the email look like something you would expect to receive from a huge company? The BMW email is poorly formatted, has no logos or other identifying features. Would BMW really send out an email that looked like this? Nope. BE CAREFUL! Remember, even an email that looks 'official' may be fake. Always check the other signs before deciding this is legitimate.
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Do you need to provide any money? You may be asked to cover 'shipping,' or 'wire transfer fees.' If you really won a car or a lottery you won't be asked to pay anything. Even giving your account number to accept a deposit opens you to account fraud. Contact your financial institution or law enforcement before giving out your bank/credit/investment information.
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So what do I do now?
The smartest thing to do is simply hit delete! Any other follow-up could lead to the theft of your identify. Even clicking links included in the email could expose you to viruses, spyware or other nasty impositions. You may also consider notifying your local law enforcement agency.
If you you really, really, really want the BMW and really, really, really think you actually won a drawing that you didn't enter you can take steps to protect yourself.
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Confirm the Sweepstakes/Award/Lottery is legitimate through an independent source: For instance, in the BMW case you might contact BMW Netherlands via the BMW website. If they've never heard of this, it is probably fake.
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Don't give any personal information: Until you have absolutely, without a doubt, for sure confirmed this is a legitimate deal, don't give any personal information. You would be surprised at valuable even your name is to a criminal. Remember, if they had it already, they wouldn't have to ask for it. Even if you are comfortable giving some information, only give the details that are absolutely required. For instance, don't give your account numbers (even to pay for 'shipping'), and why would you need to give your age and sex to win a car?
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Visit SecurePCNews.com: Articles like 'Don't get hooked by a phisher' provide great tips on how to protect yourself from scams like this.
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Use your up-to-date anti-virus , anti-spyware and anti-phishing software: Scan the email and any attachments before clicking any links. Then scan you whole PC afterwards to see what may have been downloaded that you didn't notice. BE CAREFUL! Clicking the links is dangerous. If you do this, you are likely to get an unwanted surprise.
Learn More about Internet Scams
Visit these links to learn more about internet scams.
| US Federal Trade Commission facts for consumers on a range of internet fraud topics | |
| MillerSmiles |
UK organization that tracks the latest phishing and internet fraud attacks and provides helpful resources |
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