“CONGRATULATIONS you won a 19 Piece Knife Set from HOMEMARK. To Claim your prize call 011 430 6000. Quote ref:#####. Prizes excl P&P. T&C apply. Reply NO 2b removed” is an SMS I received somewhere last week, not very excited about the prize, I delayed calling them until yesterday, after going through the press one for this, two for that etc, I reached somebody saying “Congratulations on winning this 19 Piece Knife set” and he went on about the features and what is included, but in such an unexcited tone that I thought he was having a burial somewhere in the background.
After he went through the details of the knife set, I asked: “How do I claim my prize?” on which he replied, I’m going to need your credit card number on which I replied, “Can’t I pick it up at a local Homemark store?” on which he replied, “We’re a mail order company and only deliver, but I’m going to need your credit card number so we can deduct for handling and shipping fees”. If I remember correctly, he said the amount would be something like R9.40 for shipping and handling which apparently is from somewhere in Jo’burg to Cape Town.
Skeptical about the whole giving my credit card number over the phone, I said I don’t have a credit card, on which he just said “OK”, he didn’t offer an alternative way of paying and then a dead silence after which I said, “Thank you, but I’m not interested in this offer, have a fantastic day”
The whole thing smells like a scam to me, especially since I can’t remember entering such a competition and the fact that they are willing to give away a knife set worth “hundreds” but not willing to pay the shipping of “R9.40″, almost the same as those schemes saying you’ve won the jackpot, please send us your details so we can send you the money on which they request a handling fee or something similar.
I’m not going to leave it there, if they tried to scam me, they will probably try it with a million other South Africans, the whole thing sounded so legit on the phone until he asked for my credit card number :(