Lotto Scam - where do they get the info?

B

Bootdog

Registered User
Messages
129
We got a letter today saying that we won 600 odd grand in a lotto draw, and to forward 10% for processing etc. This was a posted letter, not an email, (postmarked Malaga). Its clearly a scam.

Funny thing is it used our correct address, but my wifes married name ... and she has only recently changed her name (last month or so). We can't figure out how these people got her name & address - its not on any correspondence, on any bills, and the address is correct, but has a strange abbreviation in it - not something that either or us would do.

Any ideas on where they might source the info??? I would love to find out who gave them the info ... but all I can come up with is the Govt offices where you get your name changed ...
 
Did she buy anything from a website or enter her name and address on a website?
 
Found this on another site:

My advice to all those who want to avoid identity theft is:

(a) Don't vote (by voting your name and address is available to everyone, even my uncle in Iraq!)

- is this true in Ireland???
 
"Identity Theft" was in a posting relating to another lottery scam, where they requested bank ac no.s, phone numbers etc. and a 10% "processing fee" before they would pay out the supposed Lotto win ...

"Did she buy anything from a website or enter her name and address on a website?"
No, all credit cards etc. are still in her maiden name. In fact, this is the first bit of correspondence to the house which doesn't use her maiden name - hence our confusion as to how someone could possibly find this out...
 
10% of 600k is some processing fee! Can't imagine many people being that gullible.
 
the sad thing is that there are a lot of very gullible people out there who do fall for these scams hook line and sinker,i have had these things myself on a few occasions, one time i responded and put some flour in my reply to them, i never got another scam offer from that group
 
Go one of these letters today.

Is there any authority that this can be sent to? I don't think that the police will deal with this as it originated in Spain?
 
Your information can be obtained from the register of electors, and used for marketing purposes.

There are two versions of the register published: the full register and the edited register. The full register can only be used for statutory purposes. The edited register contains names and addresses of people whose details can be used for marketing.

It is possible to have your details removed from the edited register. Your local council should be able to look after this.

Imperator
 
Fingal allow you to [broken link removed] which register (if any) you are on. Only ~4000 people are on the edited register. This suggests the default is not to be on it (opt-in). I'm not listed on it, and I never opted out.
 
Just to clarify - the edited register is the one that is used for spam/junk mail - the default is to opt out of this. See .
Local authorities publish two versions of the Register of Electors: the edited register and the full register. The "Edited Register" contains the names and addresses of those voters who have indicated that their details can be used for a purpose other than electoral or other statutory use (e.g., for direct marketing use by a commercial or other organization).

...

If you do not select either the "Yes" or "No" box, it is assumed that you do not wish your details to appear on the Edited Register. In other words, it is assumed that you do not wish to receive direct marketing material.
Click to expand...
 
well the phone directory ,but im private so how come they can get my addy???
 
my phone no or address is not in the phone directory as i am exdirectory
 
the edited register is the one that is used for spam/junk mail
Click to expand...
Yes -- noone has said any different.

the default is to opt out of this.
Click to expand...
Or in other words, the edited register is opt-in (which is what I meant, but I can see how that could be confusing!).
 
Bootdog said:
We got a letter today saying that we won 600 odd grand in a lotto draw, and to forward 10% for processing etc. This was a posted letter, not an email, (postmarked Malaga). Its clearly a scam.

Funny thing is it used our correct address, but my wifes married name ... and she has only recently changed her name (last month or so). We can't figure out how these people got her name & address - its not on any correspondence, on any bills, and the address is correct, but has a strange abbreviation in it - not something that either or us would do.

Any ideas on where they might source the info??? I would love to find out who gave them the info ... but all I can come up with is the Govt offices where you get your name changed ...
Click to expand...

Where/when did you go for your honeymoon?

Bootdog said:
Found this on another site:

My advice to all those who want to avoid identity theft is:

(a) Don't vote (by voting your name and address is available to everyone, even my uncle in Iraq!)

- is this true in Ireland???
Click to expand...
The standard electoral register is indeed available to everyone, but only in paper form. The work involved in rekeying this from paper would outweight benefit. There is no risk of junk mail/identity theft arising from registering to vote.
 
RainyDay said:
Where/when did you go for your honeymoon?
Click to expand...

Rainyday you might be on to something here. We went to asia, July 05, again everything was done with her maiden name ... but I vaguely recall something that we purchased being posted back to us in Ireland, and she used her married surname on it ... I'll see what I can find at home on it.

RainyDay said:
The standard electoral register is indeed available to everyone, but only in paper form. The work involved in rekeying this from paper would outweight benefit. There is no risk of junk mail/identity theft arising from registering to vote.
Click to expand...

Checked the register, and its got her maiden name on it, so definitely not electoral register behind this...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top