14 DAY TRIAL // An International FIFA World Cup Online Lottery Program that’s designed and promoted by the European lottery, Russian Football Union and Qatar Football Association sounds great, especially if you’re told that you won £800,000 ($1.2 million or €1 million). However, as always, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
A new advance fee scam is doing the rounds via email, informing recipients that they've won the prize as a result of a lottery, Hoax Slayer reports.
“We are delighted to inform you of the International FIFA World Cup Online Lottery Program held on 20/07/2012. Due to mix up of names and numbers the results were released on 27/07/2012,” reads the phony email.
“Your name attached to raffle ticket number:DYB22155 with serial number: 506 drew lucky numbers: 13-21-27-36-38-45 with bonus ball 4 which consequently won in the 3RD category, you have therefore been approved the winner for a lump sum pay out of Eight Hundred Thousand Pounds (£800,000.00) congratulation!”
Apparently, this is a way of promoting the 2018 FIFA World Cup sporting event, programmed to take place in Russia and Qatar.
The victim is urged to complete an attached PDF form and contact a Dr. Eric Moore, the “Foreign Service Manager” of Ladbrokes PLC.
Although the logos and the signatures make it look somewhat legitimate, the FIFA World Cup Online Lottery is clearly a malicious scheme designed to trick unsuspecting individuals into handing over money.
The most likely scenario is that once he is contacted, the so-called Dr. Eric Moore will ask the victim for a certain amount of money that’s probably needed to complete the money transfer.
Such plots aren’t dangerous only because the user loses money, but also because the information he is requested to hand over to the crooks can be successfully utilized in other malicious campaigns and even identity theft.