GOLDEN RULES:
- Slow it down - Scams are often designed to create a sense of urgency. Take time to ask questions and think it through.
- Spot check - Do your research to double check the details you are getting. Does what they’re telling you make sense?
- Stop! Don’t send - No reputable person or agency will ever demand payment or your personal information on the spot.
You receive an email claiming that you've won a Google Lottery and are asked for personal details. In some cases the scammers also impersonate customs or tax officials and will ask you to provide additional information or pay a fee to release the funds (such as a money release fee, currency exchange, courier or shipping fees, tax fees, etc.).
Google does not run lotteries, and your email address has not been selected to win a prize. Do not reply back with your personal details.
Lotto Scam Notification Example:
Resources:
- Report the email as spam or phishing to your email provider. If you have Gmail, learn how to report spam and report phishing.
- If the email was sent from a Gmail address, you can report abuse to help Google take appropriate action on accounts involved in this scam.
- Spam: The abuse of electronic messaging systems to indiscriminately send unsolicited bulk messages.
- Phishing: Phishing is a type of online fraud where someone tries to trick the victim into revealing sensitive details such as a username, password or credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.