Real or Fake Irish Lottery Snail Mail?

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 9:27 pm

My wife received this in the post, it is very professionally printed on perforated A3 paper and appears genuine. But is it? My doubts are because I keep seeing the country Netherlands mentioned. The original is very similar to "Readers Digest" lottery type paper and printing we get here.

What do you think? Real or fake?

Page 1:

Hi Res link here:

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/5979/irishlottery1cku1.jpg

Page 2:

Hi Res link here:

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/7549/irishlottery1csp6.jpg

Page 3:

Hi Res link here:

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/619/irishlottery3cby7.jpg

Page 4: (I wont bother with a hi res of 4)

Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 9:40 pm

Could be legit seeing as it's only an invitation to play and not neccessarily a claim that she's already "won" a lottery that she never entered into.

It's probably just junk mail.

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:20 am

Lotteries are typically licensed in just one geographical area (eg UK National Lottery is just that - for the UK), so even if it is "legit" in one sense it may well not be in any other sense.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

I'd go with advertisement.

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:02 am

I notice the Irish lottery is offering prizes denominated in Australian dollars, seems a bit odd.

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:30 am

Strange isnt it, they also have an aussie phone number on the form to call which they claim is a free call Australian 1800 number. Im not going to call from my home number so I called using Skype. Skype charged me nothing for the call.

All I got was an answering machine. I suspect it is redirected to the Netherlands due to the time they say their business hours are, but I cant confirm this until I call later tonight my time.

Answering Machine: http://media.putfile.com/Irish-Lottery-Answering-Machine

If it is a scam it is very well set up. The only reference I have managed to find on the net about it is a woman saying on a foodlovers site she received it, and by coincidence my wife just happens to be a member of that site. That woman got it 10 months ago, same draw number! I suspect the scammers (if it is a scam) have harvested the members details.

And why is the time zone in my Skype call saying European time, its never done that before. Does it report the time zone you called?

Baiting Guru Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Posts: 2531 Location: AU

looks like you have to pay $5 a week to play for 4 weeks and a total of 24 draws.

could be like those raffles no one seems to ever win.

while im on the subject does anyone know anyone who has won one of those cars raffled at shops aka "malls"?

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:35 am

European Lottery Guild have an advertising standards adjudication that upheld two of the four complaints. To me it looked like ASA were a bit lazy about verifying the 'winner' did actually exist:

http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/non_broadcast/Adjudication+Details.htm?Adjudication_id=41295

and ScamNet says you should take the opportunitity to steer clear:

http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/ConsumerProtection/ScamNet/Scams/European_Lottery_Gui.html

They have written a fairly strong piece there and I'm suprised there's been no attempt to to shut them down. They must be operating on the very edge of legality. Even though scamnet points out a couple of places where they seem to be operating in contravention of the law.

Personally I'd file it in the bin with the Readers Digest letters (which come to think of it I haven't seen for a couple of years)

Edit: The address on the ASA adjudication looks like a drop box for all kinds of stuff including the Erotic DVD Centre and a Spanish Lottery scam.

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:11 am

I had the same feeling as the others, not quite illegal but not at all ethical, I have done a few searches but nothing came up for me, I would be placing it in the circular file anyway, there are far better ways to throw away $20 and I wouldn't be comfortable if these people had my details either

Readers digest now come through online advertisers.

There are several sites that reward you for reading adds, I recently seen one for readers digest which was read and deleted.

I once took advantage of an offer to recieve a free book from readers digest, of course I had to sign up to receive other items with no obligation which I received and sent back within the allotted time.

I thought I was clever getting a book for free until the adds started clogging up my letter box Evil or Very Mad

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 2:00 pm

http://www.europeanlotteryguild.com/scam_protection.htm Smile

Website domain registered in 2005. They claim to be in business since 1990, that's odd, the oldest internet presence I could find was 2006.

They've been forbidden to deal in several countries: From their website:

Quote:

Unfortunately, our service is not available to residents of the Netherlands, Canada, the United States and its territories, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.

Probably legit(ish), I'd trash it anyway without giving it a second look.

[/quote]

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 2:24 pm

www.lottery.ie is the only Irish lottery.

It could very well be a new angle on lottery scams, sign up now and in a few weeks you've won just there's those pesky fees to pay, but don't worry your now a millionaire.....

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:41 pm

Now I've studied the scans, it seems to be an invitation to a syndicate - you give them money, the syndicate enters the lotto in (in this case) Ireland and doubtless charges you a fee/slice of the winnings as a management cost. If you're stupid, give them A$20, but I'd imagine you'll lose more than you win - and lose more than entering the lottery straight due to the management fees!

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:03 pm

I am aware that it is an offer to join a syndicate, but where is the information of what share you receive if there are any winnings, do they take minor prizes for themselves "to cover costs"? I bet they do, note there is no mention of minor prizes, and there is no written guarantee they will tell you anything or pass anything on to you. Note also that there is only a website to visit, no mention of a registered company running the syndicate, in short they could take the money and run even if it was legit, and I strongly they most likely will debit your credit card more than $20 regardless if it is legit or not and the only recourse you would have is thru the usual cc refund system.

And like I said b4, how is it a woman received exactly the same draw number (6/45) 10 months ago? I rang that phone number in their "business hours" and still got the answering machine, so even if it is not a scam there is nothing stopping them just taking any money and running.

Real or Fake Irish Lottery Snail Mail?	View next topic View previous topic