OMG could this be real???

[mom23boyz]

I booked my hotel for DS football tournament thru hotels.com I received this email from hotels.com today.Is this real????

Dear Denise Rodriquez,



Congratulations! You have been selected as a winner of the $500 prepaid MasterCard giveaway sponsored by hotels.com®.



Hotels.com will be mailing a prepaid MasterCard to the following address:

etc
etc


To activate your card:

· Log on to www.ActivateRewards.com/Hotels

· Enter your card number

· Enter and submit the information requested

· Your card will be activated immediately!



Upon confirmation from you, I will mail the prepaid MasterCard to the address above. Congratulations again, and thank you for choosing us to book your trip.

[HandyMom]

I would check this out first with Mastercard before I would give my card number on any website! It doesn't sound legit to me. There are so many scams going on right now it's hard to keep track of them all.

[guest002]

Can you call Hotels.com?

[kittykatstrong]

If there is a phone number to call I would do that before giving out your info. Better safe then sorry.

[mom23boyz]

It wants the number off of the"prepaid card" they are supposedly sending me.To activate it all. They were having a sweepstakes so...I just don't know right now. Yes there is a phone number as well

[cheappearls]

Well that is interesting (and super exciting if it's true!). I vote with call, both hotel.com and master card just to double check ya know?

[Momto2Boyz]

I would definately double check on it too. But I would think if they are having a sweepstake on the site, it might be legite! Just be sure that you aren't agreeing to a credit card in the process!

So many of these give-ways, give you a free card with pre-paid money, then once the money is gone, the account is activiated into an actual account with really high interest. So many people assume that the card will stop working when the pre-paid money runs out and that isn't always the case, especially if you don't read the fine print!

Call to verify, then read everything they send with the card! Do not sign for anything! Hopefully it's true, and legite! An extra $500 would come in handy this holiday season!

[mickee311]

Sounds like a scam.

[StaceyS]

I.. Just be sure that you aren't agreeing to a credit card in the process!

So many of these give-ways, give you a free card with pre-paid money, then once the money is gone, the account is activiated into an actual account with really high interest. So many people assume that the card will stop working when the pre-paid money runs out and that isn't always the case, especially if you don't read the fine print!..

Wow! Thanks for the info! I would never have guessed this! But, that's probably what they're banking on...

[Kaos Kitty]

Just watched Oprah on scams. It might be legit - but never follow the links they email you (too easy to forge official looking websites) instead use the actual Hotel.com website and contact info (not what they give you). Often scams use real businesses and contests. Just don't give out any personal info or credit card info and make sure you don't have to pay anything like a "processing fees" to get the money. Don't click on the "Activate" link they emailed you, if it's not legitimate, according to Oprah it's someone using a computer in Nigeria hoping to get all your information (like what you would put on a credit card application). If it is real, then you should be able to activate it through the real hotel.com not the link. Because according to Oprah (and Ebay security manager) legitimate company's will NEVER ask for your personal information in an email. If they want information they will have you contact them and give it on their secure network. I hope it is real - but I really think it might be a phishing expedition for your personal information. You might get the card in the mail, but once you enter in your personal info, and try to use it, you might find the card doesn't work or is stolen. Hope I'm wrong - $500 is always a nice surprise! Oh- "Google Hotel.com/Mastercard" scams, if it is one stuff should come up. Good luck!

[JustMegan79]

OR.......maybe you really won. (to be on the positive).
You never know. People win sweepstakes everyday. (Not me, have never won anything, ever.) But, if alls they want is the card number from the one they send you, and there is no cc paperwork, all good.

I have gotten visa gift cards as presents and had to call to activate them.

good luck.

[rainbowgc]

Sounds like a scam but hey just maybe you did just luck out and win something so i vote with check it out with Mastercard and Hotels.com

[momof2joys]

Doesn't hurt to double check anything. If you think it might be false, check it out, if you think it might be real, check it out. Either way, I'd check it.

[Katybird]

I would call Hotels.com from a phone number that you have for them from previous correspondance or their website and ask them about the sweepstakes. I would not use any numbers or websites that are in the email that you received. I would think that they would send you something registered in the US mail vs email if they were giving that amount of money away.

[kcsmom76]

I agree with everyone, check it out first!!

I so hope you won though. Please update us as soon as you can!!