Mark Zuckerberg is a very wealthy man, but, as far as we know, he's unlikely to be sharing that wealth via lottery programs anytime soon - and, as we always warn, being asked to pay for items with iTunes gift cards is a dead giveaway for a scam. They'll likely just open new impostor accounts. In a recent investigation, The New York Times found 205 Facebook accounts using the name of Mark Zuckerberg, of which more than 50 were lottery scams - though many of them were subsequently removed.īut that's rarely enough to put the scammers off. Money demands will continue to escalate until the victim realizes he or she has been scammed. Tragically, as we know, that's merely the first installment. The prize is usually pitched at a sensible-seeming $750,000 and all you have to do to collect your winnings is send in $200 worth of iTunes gift cards - the scammers' current payment method-of-choice. More Scam Reports: Scam Book and Movie Favorites Teach Us a Valuable Lesson As we've previously reported, there's no shortage of people willing to believe stories that they've won the lotto - especially ones with names like Facebook and Zuckerberg attached. Of course, there's no such thing as a Facebook lottery, but does everyone know that?Īpparently not. Facebook LottoĪnother easy-money idea you can toss is the notion that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has lined up a pot of gold for you - in the form of winnings from a supposed Facebook lottery. So, you know what to do: If you receive an invitation to join one of these so-called organizations, give it a miss - along with the "invoice" - and go buy yourself a volume of money-making ideas for 10 dollars or so at your favorite bookstore. Looking back through our files over the past couple of years, there are several variations of this scam, including ones in which victims received nothing at all. Plus, of course, you're likely handing over your credit card details to a dubious "publisher." Who knows where that will end? It's just a money-making publishing scam that trades in the gray area between illegal and legal business activities. You can probably see where this is going. In some cases, the come-on actually includes an invoice for the first book - making it seem like you already ordered it. There's a whole series lined up and waiting for you to buy. More Scam Reports: Using Mobile Device Tracking Programs Like Find My iPad And Find My iPhoneīut if you're gullible or desperate enough to buy the book, all you'll get - if you're lucky - is a volume of rehashed money-making ideas, some of which will cost you even more to put into action.Īnd that's just the first book. But wait, you're going to get it for almost half price - $140 versus a regular $250 or so. Then you'll receive an even bigger brochure telling you more about secret routes to unimagined wealth.īut, of course, it doesn't disclose the secrets. Yes, you've been on the society's VIP radar for some time.Īll you have to do is sign up. It's also full of praise for your achievements in life so far, which is supposedly why you're being invited. To make it more secretive, the letter, which invites you to join the group, contains lots of dubious testimonials. You receive a letter in the mail, together with a pamphlet explaining the supposed background to an organization whose members are all getting rich - and it's all thanks to the society. Like most other scams, they're just a ruse to get your money. Because secret society con tricks are rife at the moment. How would you feel about joining a secret society? Intrigued, for sure. Secret Society Invitation is Just a Book-Selling Marketing Trick It all sounds mysterious and intriguing: Join our secret society and get rich quick.īut this invitation, which usually arrives by snail-mail and implies you've been specially selected to join an elite group, is just a front to get you to buy a wealth-making book.Īnd once you've bought one, for an inflated price at a supposed discount, more will follow, as we explain in this week's issue. Snippets issue investigates secret society scams, fake Facebook lottos, and a new phishing trick: Internet Scambusters #828
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