I’ve been thinking it was about time to at least think about replacing my vehicle. After all, it is more than a decade old. Canadian winters, with lots of salt on the road, can be hard to endure without rusting out.

So imagine my delight to get an email telling me I had won a new car. And not just any car. A BMW Model 3 Series. Those care start at more than $50,000.

Admittedly, it is only the 2023 model, not a new 2025 one, but it comes with a check for $5.5 million US. All courtesy of the “BMW Lottery United States of America.” I didn’t even have to enter to win!

The old adage is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Therefore, much as I am drooling over this automobile, I’m going to assume that this is a scam. Too bad – I have uses for the cash as well as the car.

I shouldn’t be so suspicious of course. The email tells me the lottery was licensed by the International Association of Gaming Regulators. That is a real organization, but they don’t license lotteries. It was also approved by the United States Gaming Board – which is not a real organization.

I do wonder who gets taken in by these things. Supposedly I was one of 50 winners. I can a big promotion possibly giving away that many cars, but not that much cash. Especially in a lottery in which no-one has to pay to enter.

Every scam email has a different flavor. This one wanted the usual information, name address and phone number, but also wanted to know the closest airport to my home and my occupation. Is this a sign of an attempt at identity theft? I wonder if they need the airport information to deliver the car? Do these people not know that cars are loaded onto trailers at the factory and delivered by rail or road? Maybe it is a stupidity test, to see how much they can scam out of you.

My guess is that the catch is processing fees. After all, the price you pay at the dealership when you buy a car is not what is on the sticker. There are taxes, dealer prep, delivery charges and other fees that can be a few hundred or a few thousand dollars. Maybe the idea is to tell you that you have to pay these fees to collect your winnings. (My response would be to tell them to deduct it from the $5.5 million they owe me.)

There must be people who pay – otherwise there would be no reason to run the scam. Much as i am tempted to reply to the email, I have too much to do these days to waste time taunting scammers.

I wonder if there is any way to find out how successful this scam is? Probably most people who fall for it never report it. Which means more people get taken in, and the scam continues.