Competition Scams - Please Post Them Here

norfolk_wb

Ok, here's one:
I got an email from ITV This Morning about a competition they were running. Fair enough, I've entered them before.

I made the mistake of signing up via Facebook, which is connected to my work account - where I've never had spam before. Not one little bit.

I now get more than 20 junk emails a day - all trying to push me to enter other nonexistent competitions similar to the ones described above. Unsubscribe takes me to identical links or to more advertising pages. Plus phone calls asking if I'm broke or injured - some for me, and some for a "Josh Card".

Evidently the competition partner ITV used has massively resold this data to the worst of the worst the internet has to offer, who can't even be bothered to fill in real data and just bung in whatever they felt like.

weeowens

norfolk_wb wrote: »

Ok, here's one:
I got an email from ITV This Morning about a competition they were running. Fair enough, I've entered them before.

I made the mistake of signing up via Facebook, which is connected to my work account - where I've never had spam before. Not one little bit.

I now get more than 20 junk emails a day - all trying to push me to enter other nonexistent competitions similar to the ones described above. Unsubscribe takes me to identical links or to more advertising pages. Plus phone calls asking if I'm broke or injured - some for me, and some for a "Josh Card".

Evidently the competition partner ITV used has massively resold this data to the worst of the worst the internet has to offer, who can't even be bothered to fill in real data and just bung in whatever they felt like.

Were the comps posted on MSE or did you enter the "spam" type ones that they now post on the links.
To get to the main comp scrolling down is required.

The first comps are from such as:

http://www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.myoffers.co.uk/

/www4.getmeaticket.co.uk

http://www.ukprize.co.uk/


These are on the MSE Comps spam list & are not usually posted to here.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1014121

11 Are there any sites, from experience, which are likely to generate lots of spam?
There are a few which have come to our collective attention as sites that, when used for comps, seem to generate lots of unwanted postal, email & phone call attention. These are listed below for your information, however, please do remember that this is only the collective opinion of other MSE Compers & does not necessarily reflect upon the sites themselves.

2minutedraw
4FreeUK
ABCWins
ActiveYou
Bouncing-Babies
Cashillion (Lead Generation, Data Aquisition, Email Marketing company)
Catalink
Clash Club/Clash media
Club La Costa
Consumer Lifestyles
Consumer Opinions
Craftomatic Beds (Comps appear to be just a way to get a salesman into your home, especially if vulnerable/alone)
Emailinform
EZ Prize Giveaway
Fair Exchange
FindAPrize (questions raised if prizes awarded, slight spam, non existant company address, dodgy? Info here & here)
Foresters (have pestered with phone calls quite badly and even salesmen turning up on the doorstep. See here and here for more info)
Freeb.ie
GetMeATicket
GetYourBillsPaid
GreatUKsurveys
Guide2Win
HelloMagazine (offers.hellomagazine.com - comps on this URL have caused spam to some compers, be aware!)
InstantPrizeDraw
Just-Rewards
Lingscars
MyConsumer
MyFamilyUK
MyOffers
NoizeMakesEnemies (Care - your profile with name, address, phone number & email appear to be on show with no way to make it private!!)
Nuts (comps.nuts.co.uk - comps on this URL run by data collecting co. Data Media & Research Ltd.)
OffersClick
OfferX
Opinioniser
Optical Express (have pestered with calls, more info here and here - scroll down to post on 12 Nov'12 onwards)
Optimax (phone calls, letters & emails!)
PenicuUK.com (linked to Weatherseal below)
PickUpThe Prizes
Planet49 (please read here, here, here & here for more information)
PlayAndWin (beware emails received, see this thread for info)
Plum Offers
PostcodeLottery (see here, here, here & here - don't confuse with FreePostcodeLottery who are fine)
Premier Christian Radio (lots of postal junk mail even when you opt out of future contact)
Prize4U
Prizes.UK
PrizePunch
PrizeStore
RewardsToday
Sandersons Blinds (various comp sites but the prize is for blinds from this company, Thomas Sanderson - pestered very badly, please read here for more info)
ShopBe
Simple2Win
SoapBoxSurvey
SoFreebies
SupremeOGlaze (linked to Weatherseal below)
Space Kitchens (see thread here)
TheStarPrize
Tickbox
Topfox
Toyhound
UKDailyDeals
UkPrize
UK-PrizeDraw
VoiceInACrowd
Vouch4me
WatchMyWallet
Weatherseal
Weather Wherever
Whats On TV (now 'powered by Instant Win 4 Now')
Willowbrook (chairs) (have pestered with phone calls quite badly on some comps - see here and also here)
Win 4 Now
Win24
Zenith Windows (linked to Weatherseal above)
Ziinga (beware emails received, see this thread for info)

butterfly2001

Is this a real win or scam?

Congratulations on provisionally being selected as a winner in the Jacob’s Creek Re-launch Promotion.
If you are confirmed as a winner, you will win a bottle of Jacob’s Creek Classics Sangiovese and a bottle of Jacob’s Creek Classics Fiano.
In order to verify that you are an eligible winner, we just need you to confirm:
· Your date of birth;
· That you are a UK resident; and
· That neither you nor a member of your family is an employee of Pernod Ricard, an employee of an agent of Pernod Ricard or professionally associated with this promotion.

You must reply to this email within 5 days (Sunday 4th May 2014), including supplying all confirmations and information required in order to claim your prize.

Please fill out the table below to confirm the address you would like your prize to be sent to:
Name
Phone Number
Address 1
Address 2
Address 3
Post Code



Once we receive your details, please allow 28 days for delivery of your prize.

Biker*Chick

butterfly2001 wrote: »

Is this a real win or scam?

Congratulations on provisionally being selected as a winner in the Jacob’s Creek Re-launch Promotion.
If you are confirmed as a winner, you will win a bottle of Jacob’s Creek Classics Sangiovese and a bottle of Jacob’s Creek Classics Fiano.
In order to verify that you are an eligible winner, we just need you to confirm:
· Your date of birth;
· That you are a UK resident; and
· That neither you nor a member of your family is an employee of Pernod Ricard, an employee of an agent of Pernod Ricard or professionally associated with this promotion.

You must reply to this email within 5 days (Sunday 4th May 2014), including supplying all confirmations and information required in order to claim your prize.

Please fill out the table below to confirm the address you would like your prize to be sent to:
Name
Phone Number
Address 1
Address 2
Address 3
Post Code



Once we receive your details, please allow 28 days for delivery of your prize.

Sounds like it could be a genuine win to me - might be from this comp here which you entered

I hope it is a win - and if so, congrats!!

If in any doubt, you could always DM them via their FB page to double-check it is a genuine message? HTH

butterfly2001

lovely thank you had a quick too and did wonder was it that one. Just not had a wen laid out like theirs was thanks for your help

[Deleted User]

I'd say that's genuine too, well done! Maybe it's a bit different as it's an alcoholic prize?

Gothchick

This morning I received a letter from a company called Illuminas telling me that I'd won £200 after entering a prize draw by completing a survey for EDF Energy. I was initially really pleased, but on further investigations I think I've come to the conclusion it's a scam. Here is the content of the letter:

"You may remember participating in the survey we conducted on behalf of EDF Energy, in March 2014. Thank you for your involvement in this research.

As a token of our appreciation, everyone who took part in the survey and provided their EDF Energy account number was entered into a monthly prize draw to win £200. The winner was randomly selected, via a computer.

I am delighted to inform you that you are a lucky winner! If you could please send me your EDF Energy account number so I can validate your details, I will then post the cheque for £200 on to you. My contact details to do so are below, and you can also telephone Illuminas directly on 0207 909 0438 to confirm that this letter and prize draw are genuine.

Email: liz.kane@illuminas-global.com
Phone no: 07949 991868
Postal address: Illuminas, 183 Eversholt Street, London, NW1 1BU

If we do not hear back from you within the next 30 days, we will redraw and select a new winner.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any queries regarding this letter.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards
Liz Kane
Associate Director"

Several things make me suspicious of this letter:
1. The letterhead looks of poor quality for a multi-national company.
2. The envelope showed a postmark of Plymouth and Cornwall which seems rather odd for such a large company and their address is in London.
3. I searched for Illuminas' website but I couldn't find any contact details.
4. On the letterhead the telephone number is different from the one shown in the content of the letter - may be because it includes the extension number of Liz Kane?
5. Why would they need my EDF account number to validate my details?

There are probably other details I have missed and even now, I'm not completely convinced it is a scam. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

ikkle87

The address details match up to those on the website for Illuminas. EDF have an office in Somerset which could explain the postmark. I think the fact she gave you a land line to ring and check would make me think its genuine tbh x

ikkle87

The EDF site does also show Illuminas did research for them

http://www.edfenergy.com/media-centre/press-news/EDF-Energy-tops-the-National-Customer-Satisfaction-Index.shtml

Gothchick

It did seem strange that they only requested my EDF account number and no other personal details. I'm trying to think what would be the worst they could do with this account number. Hmmm.....