Online users are asked to be aware of "Steve Tran" lottery donation scams. The name of the California Powerball Jackpot winner, who won $636 million dollars, is being used by scammers in an attempt to trick potential victims into sending money and personal information. The scammers claim their potential victims were randomly selected to receive donations from the lottery winner as part of his charity project. But, Steve Tran is not randomly donating money to people around the world.
A Sample of the "Steve Tran" Lottery Donation Scam
From: Steve Tran <a0901989c@fie.umich.mx>
Date: 5/23/18 1:46 AM (GMT-08:00)
To:
Subject:
My name is Steve Tran. I and my partner won $648,000,000 on the last Powerball lottery jackpot August 2017. in January 2018 I had decided to make donations to my brothers around the world maybe that's the best I can do for the world since I have always dreamed of this day and its been fulfilled gradually.i have a donation of $2,000,000.00 for you haven randomly selected your contact.i am giving out this donation because of the love I have for humanity and the needy in the society. Kindly contact me for this God giving gift via this email: rtom5504@gmail .com
Remember, once they (scammers) have received their potential victims' personal information, they will use the information to trick the potential victims into sending money, which they will claim is for some advance fees, which will cover banking and transfer costs, insurance payments or tax that the potential victims need to pay before they can receive the so-called donated money. But, if the victims send their money, the scammers will steal it and may continue to trick the victims into sending more money, with the promise of receiving the donated money the scammers claim they would receive.
Recipients of the Steve Tran lottery donation scam emails are asked not to respond to or follow the instructions in them. They should just delete the email messages instead.
It is important to remember that when someone contacts you, claiming that you have won the lottery or you are the recipient of millions of dollars, and asks you to send money in order to receive your lottery winnings or prizes, it is a SCAM. Legitimate lottery companies will never ask their winners to send money in order to receive their prizes or winnings. And, why would lottery winners who are allegedly donating millions of dollars to you, want you to send a few hundred or thousand dollars for banking and transfer costs, insurance payments or tax? Well, the money that the scammers want the victims to send, which the scammers claim is for taxes, bank transfer cost, insurance or other expenses, is what the scammers will steal. And, the victims, on the other hand, will never receive the winnings, prizes or money that they were promised.
So, once you are asked to send money in order to receive money, it is a scam.