Warning !!!: This MAY Be A Scam
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
July 12, 2009 6:01pm CST
I just got a PM from a friend of mine here, who told me that she received a PM from a fellow MyLotter. In the PM, this MyLotter, a US member got an email from MyLot requesting that she fill out a W-9 form, which of course would secure private information, like one's Social Security Number.
Now in the three years I've been here at MyLot...I've NEVER received any such email supposedly from MyLot asking me to fill out a W-9 form. This is the form that needs to be filled out by any US citizen if one earns $600 or more at any one single given place...NOW FOLKS...come on! I seriously doubt any of us earn $600 or more a year here. Yes, in the guidelines it does mention about being responsible for reporting any tax/fees, but again, I would imagine that would only be true if one earned $600 or more here. And as mentioned I've never received an email from MyLot asking me to fill out a W-9 form--that would be up to us to do at our own discretion if we did earn so much.
To me, I smell something foul here...a scam by some possible hacker here?? I've written to MyLot just now asking about this very thing, so have to wait and see..as a btw...the MyLot member who was asked to fill out the form has only been here for about three months only.
Okay..have any of you received a similar email supposedly from MyLot asking to fill out a W-9 form? Do you think this is some kind of scam? I only say this as many will remember how some jokester managed to send MyLot emails to a number of us to delete our accounts. Will you too write to MyLot about this?
Okay...just beware...okay...DON'T fill out anything until we get word from MyLot itself about this!!!
24 people like this
64 responses
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
13 Jul 09
I'd be suspicious. If she did get one, I would fill out the paper copy and send it to the official mylot mailing address, tell her NOT to fill anything out online or send any info back through the email or mylot messaging system
7 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
Yeah--I would never fill out such info on-line---whatever link this member got could go to a "bogus" website and bingo--identity theft
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
I would never give out my SSN out either on-line--that's just asking for possible identity theft
2 people like this
@derlilaStern (1756)
• United States
13 Jul 09
Did you get the email from mylot? Did it say that they would hold payment? Did you still get paid after that?
Sorry for all of the questions, Im just curious!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
I never got an alert or email from mylot about this..so something sounds fishy here
4 people like this
@tomcat23 (622)
• Old Forge, Pennsylvania
13 Jul 09
I've seen a few sites which ask for tax info when you sign up at them. I've never seen one request that information after you sign up. Some will mention providing tax info in their TERMS OF SERVICE, but if there is no mention of tax info in the TOS, I would not provide it. At the same time, some sites are claiming there is a tax law in the USA which pertains to Multiple Streams of Income and requires a w9 to be filled out even for amounts less than $600 per year. The next time I talk to my CPA brother, I'll ask him if he knows anything about it.
Hits4Pay requires a w9, but they claim they only send out a 1099 if you make over $600. I asked for their tax id #, but they would not give it to me, therefore, I will not provide the same for them. I told them I need their tax id for my records when I file my tax return. All I can say is be very careful when giving out such sensitive information.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
Hope to hear from them...like I said did email MyLot to find out about this
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
That's why I think this is some kind of hacker trying to get our private information
3 people like this
@khayshenz (1384)
• United States
13 Jul 09
I thought it's $600 a month - not a year? Because that's almost insignificant. I don't really know. I'm gonna do my own research on that one just so I know. Anyway, $600 a year is $50 per month. So if anyone makes any more than that, they're gonna have to fill one out. If not, then mylotters should be aware to not fill out the form.
I doubt I'll make that kind of money here - or anywhere online. I'm just not THAT positive when it comes to my online money-making skills.
Thanks for the warning and information.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
I'm pretty sure it's only $600 a year extra...the 1099 form and w-9 usually implies taxable income from freelance type work, not from employers
LOL--I think hardly anyone makes at least $50 a month from here...most don't even make the $10 minimum payout a month
5 people like this
@tomcat23 (622)
• Old Forge, Pennsylvania
13 Jul 09
It's definitely $600 per year, anything less than that doesn't have to be reported by the employer. All income should be reported by the individual even if they don't receive a 1099 for the income. I personally believe a w9 and a 1099 should not be required on any of the internet opportunities like Mylot or Yuwie, simply because we are acting like contractors. If you have a new roof put on your house, do you make the contractor fill out a w9? What about a landscaper? We should all be in that category operating as self employed individuals. That's just my opinion.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160658)
• United States
13 Jul 09
I have been here a long time, and have never been asked to fill out a W-9. There are other sites that ask for this as soon as you join, but MyLot is not one of them. I have not yet earned as much as $600 in a year here, but this may be the year, who knows. If it is I will gladly do so, but not until then.We are not immune to hackers, but I will make sure before I give out any info like that. Good discussion to start, though.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
It does sound suspicious to me and yes I'm aware of other sites that ask for a w-9/1099 form filled out...like Yuwie, but not here
4 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
13 Jul 09
Thanks Pye for bringing this to the attention of all the Lotters 
It will be interesting to see the outcome.
It will be interesting to see the outcome.4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
No problem
Thanks for letting me know about this...does sound fishy to me
Thanks for letting me know about this...does sound fishy to me5 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
13 Jul 09
It feels good both to have users who feel they can ask me when they have problems but also that I know who to turn to depending on what the problem is
4 people like this
There may be a hacker on the loose.
@celticeagle (166909)
• Boise, Idaho
13 Jul 09
I would never fill out personal info when it came to me like that. I appreciate you letting us all know about these types of things. Scammers are trying all sorts of things and they will stop at nothing if they thing they can make a buck. It amazing what people will do to make a dishonest buck.
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
Yes, these scammers truly do have wondrous ways of coming up with new schemes to attack innocent victims
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
That in itself should be an indicator that this is a scam---my friend clearly said that her friend was told to fill out a W-9 form...so maybe the scammer is non-USA and didn't know the different???
2 people like this
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
13 Jul 09
That would be a good possibility. Employers get the W-9 done before an employee starts a job, not after. Otherwise they can get into a pile of trouble with the IRS for not declaring and paying the employer's portion of the taxes on that employee. I can't see myLot setting themselves up for that kind of headache, or of the substantial penalties involved.
2 people like this
@jazzsue58 (2666)
•
13 Jul 09
It seems odd this has happened in the same week I got scammed by a fake Paypal email (look on "discussions I've started" for full low down)
Methinks I smell something phishy ...
3 people like this
Now that is a strange coincidence 
@Youreyes4Today (2356)
• United States
13 Jul 09
I smell a rat in the mix here. No one and I mean NO ONE should fill out this form from an email or download. If this is a US citizen then it has to be sent via snail mail to be filled out.
In my opinion the person sending such an email may be scamming others in here.
Doesn't mean that Mylot may be going through some of this themselves to make sure they are legal in the States.
US=TONS OF PAPER WORK..even if it isn't needed or duplicated
Wait to see what the answer will be, I agree
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
One can actually download he W-9 and 1099 forms on various sites THEN fill it out and mail it...but to fill out such a form on-line--no way!
1 person likes this
@roseyroser (1059)
• United States
13 Jul 09
I would never fill out a W-9 form that came through email. I would only get it through MyLot's website. I have no idea who would earn 600 or more here either! Although, I think it is definately possible for those people who do tons of tasks.
Most if not all of those types of emails are scams. Many websites tell you when you sign up or whatever that they will never ask you for personal information. They may however, tell you when you log in or in their TOS that you need to enter personal information in X spot for X reason.
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
well even if one got a W-9 or 1099 form from the MyLot website, I still wouldn't fill it on-line but download it, print it up and mail, snail mail style
One has to be careful about filling any info on-line. I once got scammed from one website since I filled out my phone number...next thing you know I'm getting bizarre charges on my phone bill--and yup--turned out to be a scam site
1 person likes this
@roseyroser (1059)
• United States
13 Jul 09
Yeah, snail mail would be the safest way to go. Except someone could intercept it and steal your info. There really isn't one 100% secure way to give info.
That's too bad about the phone thing. If someone asks for my phone number (like filling out stuff on cashcrate) I give them a number i signed up for on www.k7.net.
2 people like this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
13 Jul 09
Personally I would think that everyone should know better than to follow something like this without proof from myLot that this is something they need to do. To me this definately sounds like a Scam and I am Glad that you have taken the time to post this to keep everyone else aware as well. I am sure that only a couple of people ever have made more than this in a yr. but from what I have seen it is our own responsibility as well if we want to report it as well.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
Just wanted to give the heads up about this...this really does sound like some kind of scam to me
1 person likes this
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
13 Jul 09
Thanks for the heads up - I am really getting a bit concerned about what's going on with myLot. I've never known them to go this long not updating stats, whole internet has been 'weird' this weekend such as today my internet has gone down (Comcast) at least 10 times and we're not having any storms or anything that would normally effect it. Now this - makes me wonder....
Agree totally - don't fill out anything with private information....
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
13 Jul 09
I was just reading an article about South Korean police investigating a number of PCs which were (unknowingly) involved in some kind of denial of service attack on US and South Korean servers on or about July 4th. It was strongly suspected that North Korea was the originator of these attacks.
Although MyLot may not have been affected itself, Waseringtech (the parent company of MyLot and the owner of a big news collection site which, I believe, uses the same servers) may well have been quite busy sorting out problems arising from this. This kind of attack tends to have repercussions round the Web partly because of the enormous amount of extra traffic involved. This sort of news tends to filter into public awareness rather slowly and incompletely because of the sensitive nature of the information. Here is one of the reports: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nm/20090711/tc_nm/us_korea_south_internet_25
Although this type of attack is quite different from the phishing scams which Pye talks about in this discussion, it's one possible explanation for the concerns you voice, ByFaith.
1 person likes this
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
13 Jul 09
Mine just went down again, had to shut down and restart - tee'd me off I had found the one that posted the 'newspaper' article but lost it now can't find it again :(
Did find some discussions where some people's stats actually have updated so seems not ALL of myLot...
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
owlwings....it's not just Korea that may be infiltrating our systems...read long time ago that China has been doing this as well
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123914805204099085.html
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
13 Jul 09
i haven't recieved anything like that.i would think requiring paperwork all of a sudden they'd have an alert about it.
i can see them sending a 1099 as technically you'd probably be an independant contractor of sorts on here-but nobody makes that much.
but then again..i lost a bunch of accounts this week (including amazon)because of my state's new online tax law.and that was way under $600 too.
i don't know.smells like scam to me.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
I'm just wondering if any other mylotters got this scam type email...I didn't
1 person likes this
@jerzgirl (9291)
• United States
13 Jul 09
This particular case may be a scam, but other sites have begun requiring a W-9 before they'll pay any more (Today.com being one of them). So, it's not impossible that myLot will be requiring them of US citizens. However, it's highly unlikely that they only requested it of one person and expect that person to pass it on. The guidelines do state that currently they don't require any tax forms, but may in the future, so down the road, it is a distinct possibility as our government looks for every opportunity to acquire info on unreported income. You actually are required to pay taxes on earnings of over $400, but the payer doesn't have to report until you've hit $600.
2 people like this
@myLot_Payments (98)
• United States
13 Jul 09
This was a legitimate email sent to several myLot responders. myLot is required to send a IRS Form 1099 to all US citizens who earn $600 or more. In addition, we are required to have a W-9 on file.
We provided contact information in this email and if anyone has any questions, they can contact myLot_payments.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
Actually the correct form one has to report earned income for $600 and over from "freelancing" earned money (other than a "job") is the 1099 form not W-9...my feeling is that this scammer is non-American and didn't know the different. W-9 forms are the forms an employer sends out
1 person likes this
@wonttakelong (3555)
• United States
13 Jul 09
well thats a new one LOL
yeah I seriously doubt that I will be making enough to file with the government
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
You mean you don't earn a few million here each year??? 
1 person likes this
@wonttakelong (3555)
• United States
13 Jul 09
well I do
I earn a few million headaches LOL
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
Been getting headaches too from the very busy "activity" here lately--this weekend has been a winner....NOT
@Butterfly007 (182)
• China
13 Jul 09
It seems a faraway thing for me, since I earn less than $1 here now,hahah
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jul 09
I don't think anyone earns too much here unless they do a lot of tasks
1 person likes this
