We all know by now that Facebook can be a seed institution for scamming and hoaxing. Social media is a place to gather with friends, family and long lost acquaintances as well as a breeding ground for the thieving and dishonest. Email notifications about lottery winnings are not uncommon and have been around for a while, but it's best to know what you're looking for.
What You See The subject line of this email varies. It will not harm you to open the email. Upon opening it, you will see a formal type letter informing you of your winnings. The amount in the scam can be hundreds of thousands. Sounds great, right? In the email you are ask to disclose information. First red flag: Facebook would NEVER email or message you for personal info! 
Why You Fall For It
Money. Either you need it or want it. Curiosity to know if the offer is real? Have you ever received a phone call with the party on the other end saying you’ve won a trip but you must first buy a magazine or spend three hours listening to a condo pitch? Yeah, this nothing like that. You might actually get the trip from the phone call (at a huge cost to you, of course), but you won’t be winning any money here.
What Will Happen
The destruction of your bank or credit card account – not to mention possible theft of your identity. No one wants to risk that, right? DO NOT give any personal or financial information in an email like this. You’re not gonna receive any cash winnings. Someone will though! Whoever steals all the cash out of your bank account has hit the lottery!
Have you happened across one of these email lottery or other scam messages? Let us know!
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