Reader's Digest Sweepstakes - Is it a scam?

[soumo27]

I got this mail today:-

Spoiler

Reader's Digest India
NOTICE OF SELECTION

You are a potential finalist to win Rs. 35,00,000.00 cash in the third and last stage of Rupees One Crore Sweepstakes 2011.

Dear Soumojit,

An Official Invitation has been issued in your name. It confirms that you are amongst those selected from the whole of India, who may activate an exclusive Sweepstakes entry opportunity. If you are drawn winner of our Grand Prize, you’d have sole claim to a cash amount worth Rs. 35,00,000.00.

You may be surprised to know that in all of India, less than 1% of the households have been selected to receive a fabulous offer from Reader's Digest. While many of your neighbours will never be selected, you have already been fortunate enough to clear two of the three stages there are to becoming a winner in our Rupees One Crore Sweepstakes 2011!

You’ll be pleased you did.

Sincerely,

J Mathews
Director Sweepstakes
Reader's Digest

P.S. When people receive a Sweepstakes invitation -- like the one you now have -- they often decide to discard it, thinking, no one ever really wins. And it is a fact that if you choose to ignore the chance to enter the Rupees One Crore Sweepstakes 2011, you will never win anything in the Draw. Don't let this guaranteed opportunity slip away, just click here to access the site and you could win Rs. 35,00,000.00. Act quickly!

I signed up for this already, with an option of payment via VPP of Rs. 499.
But I read in some consumer complaint forum that you win nothing.

Please let me know something about this!..

Check this link of complaints against them:- *www.consumercourt.in/books/10358-complaint-against-readers-digest.html

 

[sygeek]

Dude, all of these mails are fake. Even if you would have won a competition, they would in a more mature format with some more details. Or, at best, contacted you via phone.

Did you sign up for any of these contest? If no, then don't bother even reading it.

And, for the money, complain in consumer court.

 

[MatchBoxx]

These are popularly known as Nigerian Scam, Nigerian Fraud! And if you have already paid a sum of money then you're NOT getting it back...forget about the money! Secure your internet banking account at this stage immediately!

 

[R2K]

I can't believe how easily ppl fall for scams these days...

 

[xtremevicky]

It has scam written all over it .

 

[furious_gamer]

^^

Still people fall for these craps... I even used to return back the parcel they sent to me as they ask me to pay some amount to participate. (No online reg those days)

 

[soumo27]

No I never registered for this thing. This is also mentioned in the official website of Reader's Digest Magazine under Sweepstakes. Check it out.
And I didn't pay any money, and will also not do so.


If they send me any parcels, I"ll shoo them away.

 

[rajsanand]

I got this mail today:-

Spoiler

Reader's Digest India
NOTICE OF SELECTION

You are a potential finalist to win Rs. 35,00,000.00 cash in the third and last stage of Rupees One Crore Sweepstakes 2011.

Dear Soumojit,

An Official Invitation has been issued in your name. It confirms that you are amongst those selected from the whole of India, who may activate an exclusive Sweepstakes entry opportunity. If you are drawn winner of our Grand Prize, you’d have sole claim to a cash amount worth Rs. 35,00,000.00.

You may be surprised to know that in all of India, less than 1% of the households have been selected to receive a fabulous offer from Reader's Digest. While many of your neighbours will never be selected, you have already been fortunate enough to clear two of the three stages there are to becoming a winner in our Rupees One Crore Sweepstakes 2011!

You’ll be pleased you did.

Sincerely,

J Mathews
Director Sweepstakes
Reader's Digest

P.S. When people receive a Sweepstakes invitation -- like the one you now have -- they often decide to discard it, thinking, no one ever really wins. And it is a fact that if you choose to ignore the chance to enter the Rupees One Crore Sweepstakes 2011, you will never win anything in the Draw. Don't let this guaranteed opportunity slip away, just click here to access the site and you could win Rs. 35,00,000.00. Act quickly!

I signed up for this already, with an option of payment via VPP of Rs. 499.
But I read in some consumer complaint forum that you win nothing.

Please let me know something about this!..

Check this link of complaints against them:- Complaint against Readers Digest

Its NOT a FAKE!!
I am surprised how people are actually not even thinking. How is this a nigerian scam?

Readers Digest is a reputed company. Everyone knows their famous monthly magazine.

This is NOT a nigerian scam.
HOWEVER a lot of Scam companies send you letters in the name of readers digest.

You can trust anything from rdasia.co.in or their other websites.

Will you win??? Eerr that is very unlikely because the odds in a RD sweepstake is alsmot 1 is to 50 million.
But that is the same odds as winning a lottery...BUT RD sweepstakes are free.

You did not notice that you had a chance to enter it without buying the book.
If you buy the book/cdd or whatever they are selling you will have a better chance at winning.

Readers digest make their money this way. They sell some very useful book or CDS. If the book is useful to you..Then Go ahead and buy because the price at which they are selling it also very low.

Now in a forum they said you win nothing...Yeah I know lottery ticket buyers who have won nothing for 30 years. Are those lottery scams?

You can see the list of winners on the readers digest website...


So when you get a readers digest email, some warnings.
1. Make sure it is from readers digest and not a phishing email.
2. check the URL properly Search google for readers digest India. And you will get the url of all their websites. They have 3 websites.

3. Never respond to a "you have won the sweepstakes............now please send us x amount of money so we can send you your winning"...Especially when you have never played or entered any sweepstakes(This goes for any scam email...its simple if you never entered your name anywhere how can you win?? Its that simple yet people are blinded by greed and respond to such emails).

4. Even with Readers digest sweepstakes. Either enter it for free(you might not win anything but you will just waste your time clicking, you can also increase you chances of winnings by refering friends...actually that is how you got this email. You friend would have referred yoU)..or see if the book or CD they are selling is useful too you. Sometimes they sell the encyclopedia collection for around 600 bucks which is a great deal. Really just buy that be happy.. The rest leave on GOD if GOD likes you from 50 million people you might win it LOL.

 

[shashankm]

Not at all a scam! Once they sent me a mail telling me to refer to 100 friends and I will get 3 books complementary. Duh, I received, The God of small things, The secret and Fountainhead for nothing I spent other than copy pasting one mass mail I received, which I keep for this only purposes !

Yeah, don't fall for 0 for product, 499/- as delivery charges crap. The product infact isn't even half the price of shipping they will charge you!
At times, they do bring you great deals but you've to be vigilant!

 

[Flash]

Its NOT a FAKE!!
I am surprised how people are actually not even thinking. How is this a nigerian scam?

Readers Digest is a reputed company. Everyone knows their famous monthly magazine.
This is NOT a nigerian scam.

@OP: What's the sender's mail address and if possible, paste the HEADER content of the mail.