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Oprah Millionaire Contest Show Scam

By News Staff Member
Tuesday, April 7, 2009

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has been alerted to the circulation of a fraudulent e-mail, purportedly from The Oprah Winfrey Show, notifying recipients of their nomination for the "Oprah Millionaire Contest Show."

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). IC3 accepts online Internet crime complaints from either the person who believes they were defrauded or from a third party to the complainant. (Photo by IC3.)

To participate in the contest, recipients are requested to mail their contact information such as full name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address; however, no mailing address was provided. Verified contestants are then required to purchase airfare and a ticket to attend The Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as complete a forthcoming contest form containing personal questions. The contestants are then promised a seat for The Oprah Winfrey Show in April and asked to provide their responses to the personal questions for a chance to win a million dollars.

Consumers always need to be alert to unsolicited e-mails. Do not open unsolicited e-mails or click on any embedded links, as they may contain viruses or malware. Providing your personally identifiable information will compromise your identity!

Individuals who receive such e-mails are encouraged to file a complaint at http://www.ic3.gov.