This is the most common scam e-mail that people receive. It can also come through the post as a letter. The recipients are informed that they have won millions of dollars at some lottery. The victims are given “confirmation” numbers, just so the winnings look more official.

The way the scam works is: in order to get your money, you are required to pay a certain fee, such as 5% from the whole amount. This is considered to be a processing fee or governmental fee that all the winners have to pay.

How to avoid: you can never win a lottery without participating. Don’t believe that somebody else might have put your name in the draw. You might also notice that the notifications always refer to you as “Dear winner”, but never “Dear John” (or whatever your name is).