By Irum Ali
My cell phone rings and when I answer, a pleasant male voice tells me that I have won Rs. 10 lakh cash prize through a lucky draw. A million bells go off in my head, but since I am in a good mood, I decide to humor the poor guy congratulating me on my amazing luck.
Interestingly enough, he tells me to call another number (of the same cellular service provider) in order to get details. Still amused, I call the other number and another male voice begins weaving a fantasy-like scenario for me being the luckiest person alive to have such fortune – along with a promise of fame.
I almost burst out laughing when he asks me if I have any objection in appearing on television to narrate my success story, but yes, by this time, the wheels of fantasy are turning in my head, and I am getting excited by the minute.
But then reality hits. He conveniently adds that I will have to pay a “small” fee in order to cover government taxes. “Only a nominal amount”, he reassures me, “just Rs 10,000 miss, but when the media shows up tomorrow morning at your house to interview you, we will reimburse you double the amount you spend”.
So there is the catch. He wants me to spend 10 grand on scratch cards which I’m not allowed to use until tomorrow morning. Definitely fishy. The alarm bells are back again, ringing in full force inside my brain.
Well, the truth is these telephone scams are more common today than the average toothache, and fast turning into a profession hugely beneficial to such thieves.
Thieves they are because they steal our most secret fantasies and guilty desires and throw them in our faces, forcing us to come to terms with our deprivations. Thus having triggered the desire for the forbidden fruit these schemers use cleverly formulated speeches and moving words to draw us into their net.
Not surprisingly, many people fall prey to such vultures in pursuit of long forgotten dreams of being rich and having an easy life: even I couldn’t help my imagination spreading like a wildfire when I was offered all that money – in my mind I had already been around the world in eighty days, staying in the best hotels, travelling in the most luxurious cars and eating the most exotic of foods.
But of course, I sadly came crashing back to reality, but luckily enough without having to experience the trauma of such a horrifying fraud; many other people however, may not have been so lucky and fallen victim to such frauds.
So the best thing to do next time one gets a call offering millions of rupees (or any other currency) in a jackpot or lucky draw, or you might be offered with air tickets, Ummrah package, job or anything – I would suggest the following:
- Take a deep breath, shut your mind to the possibility of such a thing ever happening;
- Make sure you don’t give out your particulars for security reasons; and
- Pull a smart one over the person who is trying to make a fool out of you: vent, abuse, shout, insult, or anything else that makes you feel better…
But if none of the above actually happens, hang up, and go back to your normal life. (Informing your operator about such scammers can do a little good to other mobile users as well)
yes its happening…..one of my colleague got the same call and fortunately he is also lucky enough to judge.
I have also received call and got that number blocked by warid also mentioning the number which called me 0322-7731373 for this fraud
I also got the same call, but how did I overcome to understand this is a fraud?
I got a call long time ago (last year I guess), the person told me that I became winner of Rs.1,000,000 through a lucky draw, and I was given another number and was told to call to that number for more details. When I called I asked about the details, and the person told me that I am a winner through a lucky draw from UFONE… And here is the catch, as although my number was UFONE, but I was on the MOBILINK network…
This happened with me about a month back. I got a call while on my way to the office. I had my Ufone number ported to Warid. The person on the other end of line was not live, in fact it was a cleverly recorded message asking me simple questions like, “sir is this your Ufone number?” then silence. “Congratulations you have won Rs. 1 million”, silence, “please call the same number from which you received this call” silence, you may be asked to verify your credentials”…”Thanks and ….” .
Obviously I did not call the number.
The question is who do you complain to Warid , Ufone or PTA?
Lolz! My mom got such a call and she told the guy “Donate the money we don’t need it” :P
yup its same everywhere. I also recieved such a call on oy mom’s number. I knew it that he was laying and its a fraud. But i didnt call on the number because i know each and everything about these frauds. I dont know why people become fool on this. Why?
i also recived a call but on my ptcl number and the other end person says that he is ptcl head of some department and i win 10lak money and have to pay some amount
let me tell u guys my sotry, i got a call from a telenor guy that i have won an ipod in draw, i thought this is the same scam, i asked them “OKEY then send it me”, i told them my address and gues what 3rd day i got ipod at my dooor :) that was not a scam so i think im most lucky who won orignal draw
thank u telenor
Cellular companies use special numbers for this type of promotions.
What an epic story. Enjoy your iPod dude.
just recently around 2 months before I got missed call from a warid number on my qtel number in qatar, I replied the number thinking that may be some of my friend wants to talk to me. After attending the call, the guy started like i have won some money in draw, I told him plz dont do these scams internationally because these hurt our reputation (which is already not good by the way) and disconnect the line.
i also got a call 2 years back, the girl was saying that we want to register ur name for “Unilever” lottery, i just said NOT INTERESTED and hung up. Later I checked there was no lottery by Unilever!! Bloody losers!!
I’m working in a cellular company, and got such call on my official number, got his words instantly, but people still believes on such scams.
Govt must take strict actions and only three sims maximum must be allowed per CNIC. Its all because sims are on wrong ownership or one person having multiple sims.
very well written post :-)
i know these fraudulent neva going to give up to these innocence. one day these people going to be tracked soon
well as far i can share you a simple method for being scamed or any illegal activity happens on your cell phone then
just do it
note ( for mobile internet specially wifi users)
logon to the internet, copy paste any article from any website which has more than 1000 or 2000 characters or more if u want to play with them more
just smash them with unlimited characters
& send it to that number
after it suddenly hes going to recieve large amount of sms in numbers that he could not believe
he would be sorry and must beg for the scam he done
next time he wont :)
aaj ka sabaq zarur milega ke un dash ko
( this method has been worked from iphone or wifi users)
This also happened to me but let me tell you these people have found another way to catch people.You will really be astonished to know that.
Some days back i had applied to a job at a online website. they posted the job on that website. after two or three days i got mail from them. they sent me an application form and a salary package. and some instructions to fill the form. Now they stated that job placement is in Pakistan and dubai. company was some construction company and it required a computer operator. they offered 25000 plus living.
I hurriedly download the form and start filling the form. interestingly at the end of the form they wrote that you have to submit a fee of 1050 RS in one of the following banks and this is the account and more to this they had wrote that this fee is refundable, i-e when you will come for interview this fee will be given back to you. they gave the reason that to avoid time wastage and to gain seriousness of the applicants we have done this.
From there my sixth sense told me that there is something going wrong here but at first i didnt consider it. i decided to contact them through mail. interestingly the email id was hosted by gmail like somecompany@gamildotcom. i then went to the website of the company, interestingly they had given the full name and website of the company. the company was based in egypt and it had no offices other than that. i thought how could it be that such a huge construction company couldnt have there own eamil like somecompnay@somecompanydotcom.
one more thing they had not given any kind of phone number on the application form except the website of the company and a fax number. they also stated different citites including lhr, khr, gujrat etc as there regional offices. i asked them to give me their gujrat regional number and the reply was amusing, we will forward your complaint to the headoffice they ill deal with it.
Please be aware of all these scams. I had deposited that some of money had i not done some research about the compnay profile on internet. these are no ones but to thieve our precious money. Kindly be assured to get all the info about the employer before applying.
LoL @ Sulaiman…!!! A good idea to teach these loosers :)
How we will send this to there cell phone number kindly help me my sis has sanded them about 42700 RS by these scam caals ?
Now what these people do to get your prepay balance of telenor (due to Telenor’s easy syntax for balance sharing)…they will send a message on your Telenor number from Ufone/Mobilink/Warid/Zong number but not from a Telenor number to avoid getting catch. You will call Telenor and they will say as this message came from other company we can’t do anything..and other company can’t do anything as this syntax is not for their network.
So where to complain ? Sometimes they send you contact card in SMS “Asma A A” etc. Mostly these message come from numbers starting from 03xx6xxxxxx or 03xx7xxxxxx or 03xx2xxxxxx
……even I couldn’t help my imagination spreading like a wildfire when I was offered all that money – in my mind I had already been around the world in eighty days, staying in the best hotels, travelling in the most luxurious cars and eating the most exotic of foods……
All that in Rs. 10 Lakh :-)
Asif
This happened to me but let me tell you these people have found another way to catch people.You will really be astonished to know that.
some days back i had applied to a job at a online website. they posted the job on that website. after two or three days i got mail from them. they sent me an application form and a salary package. and some instructions to fill the form. Now they stated that job placement is in Pakistan and dubai. company was some construction company and it required a computer operator. they offered 25000 plus living.
I hurriedly download the form and start filling the form. interestingly at the end of the form they wrote that you have to submit a fee of 1050 RS in one of the following banks and this is the account and more to this they had wrote that this fee is refundable, i-e when you will come for interview this fee will be given back to you. they gave the reason that to avoid time wastage and to gain seriousness of the applicants we have done this.
From there my sixth sense told me that there is something going wrong here but at first i didnt consider it. i decided to contact them through mail. interestingly the email id was hosted by gmail like somecompany@gamildotcom. i then went to the website of the company, interestingly they had given the full name and website of the company. the company was based in egypt and it had no offices other than that. i thought how could it be that such a huge construction company couldnt have there own eamil like somecompnay@somecompanydotcom.
one more thing they had not given any kind of phone number on the application form except the website of the company and a fax number. they also stated different citites including lhr, khr, gujrat etc as there regional offices. i asked them to give me their gujrat regional number and the reply was amusing, we will forward your complaint to the headoffice they ill deal with it.
Please be aware of all these scams. I had deposited that some of money had i not done some research about the compnay profile on internet. these are no ones but to thieve our precious money. Kindly be assured to get all the info about the employer before applying.
Same Type Of msg i got last night… which is like this..
warid ki tarf se apko 500Rs Mubarak ho ap Msg me MNP likhen aur 667 pr bhej dain or jo msg wapis aye use es number pr fordward karain… 00923217596177 . Or foran 500Rs ka balance hasil karain.. LoL :D i GOt the mSg from this Number.. 923422510922
i recieved call from warid number 0323 9627953 and he said that he is the horonary secretary of warid tele communication
i won rupees 5 lacs in lucky draw and i have to recharge 2500 on my number.
i swear the voice resembles to an operator and when call was on hold the warid’s tone was there.
he knows my name and n.i.c number too.
plz stop these type of fake calls.
otherwise me and my family members will stop using any warid’s number.
kindly try to stop these type of stupid things
plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Han. Aysa mere sath howa. Call ayi us ne kaha k ap 10 lakh ka prize jeet gaye. 1st mai khushi sy pagal ho giya. Leken ye pagal pan mere bahi ne khatam kya jab us ne help center k no par call ki. Ur unho ne kaha plz ap aysi calls ko aviod kare. Mujy bara gusa aya. Mai ne kaha k serf aviod ap log kuch ku nhi krte. Or maze ki baat ye k us k pas mere sim ki pori info thi. Ab ye info kis tarah us forud k pas chali gayi ye khuda he jane.
ap sb logo ki baty mn ne sun li ab meri kahani sun lo 2 din phly mujy ak call i us ne kha k mubarik ho tm 1000000 k winner bn gay mjy to pta tha k ye to farad hy bhr hal mn ne kha k ye tm ko hi mubarik ho mjy nahi chahiay us baigairat ka no: ye hy +923417965028
Same is happening just now with me…..!!! Wat should i do? :P
Same happen to my husband today.
The callers number was 03224940962 and a caller convinced him that my husband won a 500,000 PKR price. They introduced as Khalid Ali and his supervisor Jibran Ali. They said they were from Islamabad and Lahore and that they are part of top management Warid Telecom. They insisted from my husband to buy vouchers worth Rs. 2000 AND GIVE THEM THE NUMBER after scratching it.
Ofcourse, you can guess, he couldn’t use those vouchers to recharge his own phone anymore and got fooled. Be careful and don’t fall for it no matter how hard your life is and how much you need that money.
God bless.
Hi there
Toady this is the same happened with me a call from a ufone no.Usne CNIC no manga phir Account no manga.phir mujhe kehne laga ke apke pass Nokia ka koi 1100 ya is jesa set hona zaruri he take lucky code verify kia jasake.Maine Call kat kar.Ufone call karke Representative ko sub kuch bataya usne uska no leliya he aur umeed he ke uska no block hojaeiga.Ye sub Fraud hota he aur log aise hi rato rat ameer banane ki lalach men in fraudio ke chakkar men ajate hen.
So, I got a similar call on my ptcl number from someone named Mirza Irfan Haider from the cell phone number 0333 8750643. He wanted me to submit 5000 Rs. through easy paisa. I asked him how stupid he thought I am.
hi i got calls from this number 03143369700 and he was qupoting himself as imran..
i have listened to few audio clips on net and his voice exactly matched with those voices.. i urge the respected authority to take stern action against such criminals…
I got the call today and many things came to my mind that I can by a new Xbox or ps4 and new stuff by afterwards knowing the catch I decided not to have it by he insisted it my HAQ and my mom said the same give it to the poor….after that I got many calls from the same number and…I listed …the he came up with that I have to give 14500 taxs for the 10lahk and I said am. 16 I don’t have that type of money and I can’t borrow it from anyone …..I a still not fully certian that they have given up and will call or come to my house since they my information ……….now what ?
Fraud lucky draw by this cnic 38403-5444999-3 I appeal to nadra / FIA etc.. please investigation of this nic card using for collect the money 3840354449993 / 384035444999-3 / 38403 5444999 3 by Mobicash & easypaisa
Fraud mobile number & cnic cards 38403-5444999-3 / 03330765253 / 0486004732 / 03336151301 / 0412049921 / 03056231809 collect money by mobicash & easypaisa just like.type of bhattha mafia
also add ph# 03167450460
Salam Pakistan
lucky draw scam was going in Islamabad ,,and now they have started targeting karachi peoples,,
i received a call from 0316 4647728 yesterday 25/oct/2016 guy named usman telling me i have won a toyota gli from pakfood pvt..and then asked me to call their GM Shroze kazmi and asked me to visit their website pakfoodpvt.com
when i called the GM he said you have to come sargoda to collect your prize and told me to visit lucky draw column on their website …when you visit that column it asks to fill username and password which GM saab the great will tell you by asking your father name which he also doesn”t knows but sometimes they know because they have your cnic details ,after putting the username and password you mind goes on top of the world,,when you see a pic of corolla gli and bottom shows your name ,,fathers name,,cnic no.and written that you have 3 days to collect your prize from their headoffice…which GM will brief ..
please my countrymen beware and becarefull from such calls,,
i”m giving their numbers below
0316 4647728..name usman
0333 6151834..GM the great mr.shroze kazmi
0316 4647771 universal no.of GM……
kindly I request you guys to be aware
GOD BLESS PAKISTAN
regds
farman/03002627117