You cannot trust e-mail messages saying you won money. Many government agencies and blogs by individual consumers have issued warnings about e-mails related to online lotteries. These hoax messages are sent with the intent of defrauding consumers in one or two ways: requesting cash payments (e.g., for a prize handling fee) and requesting personal information (e.g., bank account numbers) that can be used to commit identity theft. The best way to handle these e-mail messages is to delete them without replying. If you send a reply (e.g., to request additional information), your response will confirm that your e-mail address is valid, and this may lead to it being added to additional unsolicited e-mail lists. In addition, you should not use links contained in such messages as they may direct you to fake Web sites that are used for phishing schemes related to identity theft. Remember: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Following are several "red flags" of lottery scams: * E-mail messages that tell you that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered. * Prize promoters ask for a fee to be paid in advance of receiving a prize. * Messages have a sense of urgency and ask for an immediate response. For more more information, visit: OnGuard Online, a Web site provided by the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud. If you're thinking about responding to a foreign lottery, OnGuard Online wants you to remember: * Playing a foreign lottery is against the law. * There are no secret systems for winning foreign lotteries. Your chances of getting any money back are slim to none. * If you buy even one foreign lottery ticket, you can expect many more bogus offers for lottery or investment "opportunities." Your name will be placed on "sucker lists" that fraudsters buy and sell. * Keep your credit card and bank account numbers to yourself. Scam artists often ask for them during an unsolicited sales pitch. Once they get your account numbers, they may use them to commit identity theft. We would like your feedback on this Personal Finance Frequently Asked Question.

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