Competiton Email claiming I won, but saying I need to send them my details including Passport number
- Thread starter Gtiracer
- Start date
Looks to be a legit competition on a legit Facebook page for all those lining up to call the OP an idiot.
Because it's a real competition that he entered and correctly selected the winning answer for and is due to inform the winners this week. Bit pointless entering if you'll just delete the emails telling you that you won.
Soldato
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- 8 Sep 2003
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- 23,180
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- Was 150 yds from OCUK - now 0.5 mile; they moved
just give them a wrong passport number?
Wow, they made a website, definitely not fake then.....
AverMedia is a real company, but no way would I be sending anyone a passport and signature for a competition win. It's so bizarre to even ask for it.
This is company that OCUK sell the products of, that's their company website and its on their established company Facebook page.
What about that makes it sound like a fake competition to you?
If you want to see if it is really a genuine prize just reply saying you don’t have a passport.
No way in hell I’d give anything out in return for a “prize” it’s a classic scam tactic to my mind, any legitimate competition isn’t going to require any more than your name & address to send the “prize” to.
No way in hell I’d give anything out in return for a “prize” it’s a classic scam tactic to my mind, any legitimate competition isn’t going to require any more than your name & address to send the “prize” to.
^^^
My girlfriend won some free bottles of soda from a FB competition. It was totally legit but she was still wary about sending them her address to post the prize. But passport number? For crying out loud, what possible use would they have for a passport number ffs?! Think man...
I think it's probably something simple like the fact it's a worldwide competition and they've naively assumed the easiest common form of ID to ask for to verify winners identities was a passport, without realising how it will be perceived by Western societies.
A quick Google suggests even groups like Channel 4 ask for passports in competition wins to verify age.
It's definitely sensible to check but all those who were quick to jump on the op and call him 'special' are a bit out of line imo.
Soldato
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- 30 Sep 2005
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- 16,817
It makes good business sense. The free prize costs them peanuts as they manufacturer it themselves. Say £20
You give them your passport, they then sell an EU passport to someone looking to gain entry to Europe for £200.
That's £180 profit for the sake of a website and a few emails.
p.s. You'd be surprised at the thousands of crypto traders who have emailed their passports to dubious "trading" companies. There's a reason we get so many spam emails, ads and website surveys. Lots of people do them!
You give them your passport, they then sell an EU passport to someone looking to gain entry to Europe for £200.
That's £180 profit for the sake of a website and a few emails.
p.s. You'd be surprised at the thousands of crypto traders who have emailed their passports to dubious "trading" companies. There's a reason we get so many spam emails, ads and website surveys. Lots of people do them!
Are we seriously accusing a company with over $50million revenue of selling passports for £180??
How did they get that 50mil.......?
Lots of ways, probably not scamming passports for a couple of hundred quid
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVer_Information
Selling forged passports on the Taiwanese black market for thousands of pounds.
Just because a business looks respectable doesn't mean they aren't involved in illegal activities. That said it could be totally innocent.
Just go with your instinct OP.
Soldato
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- 30 Sep 2005
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- 16,817
No, £180 would be too cheap. I used it as an example and I actually said they sell them for £200 making £180 profit
Check the darkweb for current prices