pjean63
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« Reply #50 on: September 05, 2011, 10:15:02 AM » |
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one thing to do, if you aren't sure about an email being legitimate is open the "header" of the email, and find out the actual place it's coming from, copy and paste it into google and see if it's been reported as a scammer. I did that yesterday, because the email looked pretty legit, but as it turned out it was actually a scam. Just be careful of giving out information until you can confirm it's a real email
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SaraL2
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« Reply #51 on: October 04, 2011, 04:35:55 AM » |
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I have only been doing this a few weeks or less and I have gotten a lot of spam/scams from survey companies. Not sure what it's all about, but I do not want to do it.
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SaraL2
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« Reply #52 on: October 04, 2011, 04:37:12 AM » |
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Just adding that I said that about the surveys because they say something like "you have won a $500 gift card", but then they say you have to take surveys first and so many and different requirements...
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goodguy46947
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« Reply #53 on: October 04, 2011, 05:13:05 AM » |
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Just adding that I said that about the surveys because they say something like "you have won a $500 gift card", but then they say you have to take surveys first and so many and different requirements...
This is why I never enter survey sweeps. |
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SaraL2
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« Reply #54 on: October 04, 2011, 05:57:25 AM » |
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I agree. Survey sweeps seem like a scam. But that is just my opinion. I have never finished one to know.
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mmb1974usa
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« Reply #55 on: October 07, 2011, 04:16:41 AM » |
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I got a msg that I won a $100 gift card and I needed to call 877-327-9520 to verify. I called, gave them my name, phone # and address so they could send the gift card. He said he name was Nathan Gonzales and he was processing my winning entry. I repeatedly asked what contest I won and he didn't tell me. Then he said they just wanted $1.99 from ME to cover the gift card shipping. I said no and then he hung up. Totally irritating because I enter these $100 gift card contests all the time.
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goodguy46947
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« Reply #56 on: October 07, 2011, 07:29:50 AM » |
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I got a msg that I won a $100 gift card and I needed to call 877-327-9520 to verify. I called, gave them my name, phone # and address so they could send the gift card. He said he name was Nathan Gonzales and he was processing my winning entry. I repeatedly asked what contest I won and he didn't tell me. Then he said they just wanted $1.99 from ME to cover the gift card shipping. I said no and then he hung up. Totally irritating because I enter these $100 gift card contests all the time.
You did the right thing and hung up. He repeatedly avoided answering your question and asked you for money "to cover shipping" in order for you to receive your prize. Any reputable company can afford the .44 cents to mail a letter containing your Gift Card! |
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peoplefoodfordogs
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« Reply #57 on: November 25, 2011, 02:20:37 AM » |
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Has anybody ever heard of Snow Joe Plus? I entered this contest and they e-mailed that I may have won a snow thrower. They want me to send a copy of my drivers license and I just don't feel right doing that. The website exists and seems to be ok, but I just don't know.
Thanks for any help.
Dee
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goodguy46947
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« Reply #58 on: November 25, 2011, 04:50:29 AM » |
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Has anybody ever heard of Snow Joe Plus? I entered this contest and they e-mailed that I may have won a snow thrower. They want me to send a copy of my drivers license and I just don't feel right doing that. The website exists and seems to be ok, but I just don't know.
Thanks for any help.
Dee
Wouldn't be the first time I've heard of people needing to provide a copy of their drivers license. I assume it's to prove their identity. If you have any doubts if the email is actually from the sponsor you can call and ask them at 1-866-SNOWJOE (766-9563)  |
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ltlbitone
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« Reply #59 on: November 25, 2011, 01:20:16 PM » |
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Looks legit!! Congrats!!
This was on their Facebook Page...
Snow Joe
Drumroll please… The latest sweepstakes winners have been chosen! Dee F., Laura H., Margot S., Tom S., Rachel H., Samantha D. and Theresa R. will receive a new Snow Joe 322P Snow Thrower. There’s still one more drawing left, so be sure to let your friends know so you can earn entries!
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goodguy46947
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« Reply #60 on: November 25, 2011, 01:54:42 PM » |
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You can never be too careful.
winland2012, How did you post as a "guest" and not as a SA member?  |
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peoplefoodfordogs
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« Reply #61 on: November 25, 2011, 05:54:17 PM » |
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Sorry, the company who did the weep was Share and Tell. Snow Joe waas just the company comissioning it. Share and tell has a big website and is all over the net. However, just to accept the prize, they want my social security no. I am not comfortable just sending that in. Any opinions? Thanks
Dee
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Amy Shulkusky
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« Reply #62 on: December 06, 2011, 12:27:00 PM » |
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The "to" addresses probably don't tell you much. I've received emails that are sent cc'd to all the winners if there are more than one (not the ideal email practice, but a lot of people don't follow the ideal email practices).
who is it from? if there's a something.com in the sender's email address that isn't yahoo/hotmail/gmail/other generic? do a search for that URL Is it from a generic ID, or an individual?
Since they are open to questions, I'd send an email back asking which sweepstakes it's for before I'd fill out an affy. If you don't get a relatively prompt response, then let it go and move on.
And, most importantly, did you enter any sweeps with a $20 Walmart GC as the prize? you can search on that on sweepsadvantage.
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I just reread (missed the first line that it was from Big Prize Giveaways, but saw the BPG sign-off). That means it's one you entered on Facebook. I'd still send an email back asking some questions about which sweep and I'd take a look at how much info they want on the affy. (Is it like the SheKnows affy where it just formalizes the info you would normally send in an email, or do they want the whole SSN/notarized deal?)
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Amy Shulkusky
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« Reply #63 on: January 14, 2012, 11:54:50 AM » |
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It all depends on the sweep and how it's being administered.
I'd say the majority of sweep wins notify by email and of those "MOST" include a Congratulations in the subject line (but not all, so you do tend to have to read some messages more closely)... and a lot of the things that designate a normal email as "Spam" for normal email users are the same characteristics that winner emails contain, especially for one-entry or daily contests (the instant wins are more automated and timely, you're usually dealing with a real human for other wins).
So, email from an individual you don't know (instead of a generic newsletter mailer), sometimes with attachments will often be legit winners but will filter into Spam folders. Typically you don't have to fill out tax forms or an afidavit for wins unless they are over $600, but some sponsors use a less specific policy (if you wander through the forums you'll see discussions of the afidavits for She Knows and Big Prize that people get for much smaller wins). And some really well known companies work through much lesser known promotion agencies, so just because the email isn't coming from Marriott doesn't mean you didn't win from Marriott, etc. There's a bit of an art that comes with practice for spotting the winners among the swath of other mail that comes in on a regular basis and determining what is legit and what may be trying to scam you.
And while the majority will email, there are other sweep admins who will just automatically ship prizes with no notification, or will post your name on a winners list on their site and never send an email, who will send a direct message through facebook, post on their facebook wall, send a direct message through twitter, and a few will place a phone call. From reading here a while, most will only call if it's a really big prize because they do a lot more verification and they want to ensure you are willing to accept the prize before they start putting you through the paces of all the paperwork.
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Amy Shulkusky
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« Reply #64 on: January 14, 2012, 11:56:47 AM » |
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I remember your post when you missed the $10,000 email, the thought of that still makes me shaky.
I at least open every single email that comes to my sweep account inbox & Spam folders(I sweep from a different email address than my primary personal account)
Things I look for if I'm scanning through:
emails from individuals accounts
intern accounts
pretty much anything instead of "newsletter@"
emails with attachments
"Congrats" in some form either in the subject or the first line of the email
emails that arrive during normal business hours (account for other time zones too) - if it's coming from an individual, it's part of their job... how many emails do you send from work when you're not at work?
I've only had one non-automated win notification from a non-instant win show up outside normal business hours (that was for a DVD and it came in ~1:00 am... pretty sure it was from an intern and pretty sure they were located 3-hours off my time zone).
For subject lines, I saw as many "Big News" and "Winner Notification" emails as "Congratulations" just now when I went back through my win folder on my email account.
As far as non-congrat subject lines/odd subject lines/odd emails that are winners (I know there's a whole stickied thread on them around here somewhere too)....
The beauty products I posted in the winners circle yesterday came from press@ with just the product name in the subject line, and the congrats message in the body of the email.
My woman's day book win came from a gmail account (with a note in the email that she could resend from the official "@womansday.com" email address if I was skeptical and wanted additional confirmation that she was who she said she was), but they had my address from the entry and didn't need me to reply to the email notification.
My $500 Residence Inn gift card win went to my spam folder and came from an individual at dja.com (Don Jagoda Associates)... that one took some digging to verify as the sweep it was for didn't come up on my first few SA searches (I had to use the power search and really go digging for the sweep and then once I found it and it's rules verified that DJA was the sweep administrator/fulfillment agency for Mariott. It was a good 20-30 minutes of research before I was confident it was legit and sent them back the info they requested.
My biggest win (trip win) came to my Spam folder from an individual with an attachment and just the subject line of "Explore Minnesota". That one also took a little bit of research before I replied back.
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pxdjr
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« Reply #65 on: January 15, 2012, 04:57:46 AM » |
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Great thread and thanks for the tips. Silly me -- I've been going by subject information only in emails and haven't been looking in the body of the emails for win notifications. I've been doing this since last August and have never won a draw sweeps, only Instant Wins and a writing contest, and have been wondering how/why I haven't won a draw prize yet. May be because I dumped a notification email because I didn't look at the body of the email. Yikes!!!
Thanks all!!
Paul
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« Last Edit: January 30, 2012, 03:48:38 PM by pxdjr »
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