You may have received a WhatsApp or text message from David Ritchie, the Powerball winner who claimed to be sending it. Don’t fall for it! It’s a scam. This article will explain how the scam works and how you can avoid becoming a victim.
Scammers have been impersonating David Ritchie since June 2022 by sending SMS messages claiming that the recipients have been chosen to receive $20,000 from David Ritchie. This is the $1 million powerball lottery winner 2022.
This is how the email looks like
Thank you.. My name is David Ritchie and I won the $1 million Powerball jackpot in Ooltewah. I am donating to 2 random people. This message means that your ## has been selected following a spin ball. I have decided to donate $20,000 to you, one of the 2 selected winners. Please text the agent at 619-489-4703 to claim your winnings. Dennis is his name.
These look very convincing and may make you believe you are lucky. This is a scam. We were provided with a phone number to call when we sent an email to the address. This is where the scam begins.
They asked for money to be sent, claiming it was for taxes, processing fees, delivery fees or other fees. It was funny that they wanted it to be in Bitcoin!
What happens when you make bitcoin transactions? It’s untraceable. It’s impossible to track the person on the other end and file a complaint. This is why fraudsters always choose bitcoin.
We advise against sending money or personal data to anyone, no matter how convincing the message may sound. You should ignore any messages that look like this and report it to the police. They would issue a warning to ensure that others don’t fall for the scam.
Legal lottery companies don’t ask winners to send money or provide personal information to them in order to collect their prizes.
How to Avoid being a victim of scams
Emails and text messages are popular tools for scammers. You should take security precautions when using social media platforms such as Facebook.
These are the basics to help you keep your personal information safe and secure.
- Any messages, voice mails, or emails that sound too good to be true should be ignored
- Check online for evidence or reports backing suspicious calls or texts
- Never click on links from unknown senders. This applies to links in email and text messages.
- Report the call.
- You should be wary of messages that claim your account is in danger. Although they may appear legitimately to be from a company with which you do business, there are often typos in the messages.
- Never share your passwords, crypto wallet keys or any other sensitive information. This is true online and over the phone.
