Last few years, all of us would have received a number of e-mails and sometimes an SMS also from big names in the world that we are lucky winners of a lottery which we never purchased, or our e-mail was selected for a prize amount, or some big hearted agency decided to remind us about an amount in a bank which we forgot to draw, or somebody donated only to us, or somebody wants to share the amount which was not claimed, and so on. I started getting such mails for more than 7 years. I also started reading how innocent (or greedy?) persons lost huge money sent for legal costs or some other reasons, to get the big prize.
These mails/SMS ask for our name, address and bank account number to send the money. How believe that the sender of the e-mail/SMS is able to send without knowing our name or contact ID/number.
Though the people present innocence to investigating agencies and blame police, after they lost large amounts, one should not show any sympathy to them because these are all greedy persons.
As a part of awareness campaign, Reserve Bank of India in their circular dated 05.12.2011, listed 34 nodal agencies in various states of India for registering complaints with regards to such fictitious lottery wins, cheap money, communication from bank about updating password, etc. Individuals have to register their complaints with these nodal agencies to enable them for necessary action.
We should remember that nothing comes free in this world unless it is inherited through natural process. Now a days, even rich families leave only a fraction to their children and use the remaining for philonthropy/charity.
http://www.livemint.com/2011/12/11202751/Won-an-online-lottery-Inform.html?atype=tp