Elder Scrolls Season of the Dragon Sweepstakes Notification???????

Lalayla

Hey Community!

I got an email today saying I was a 'Potential' winner in a sweepstakes.

I do not recall entering any sweepstakes, and the mail is from an email address that has nothing to do with ESO, ZOS, Zenimax. (Though the mail does mention 'Bethesda Softworks' in it...)

I'm wondering if this is legitimate or some sort of scam?

Here is a portion of the email (with personal info left off)

___________________

Congratulations, your entry has been determined as a Potential Winner in "The Season of the Dragon" Sweepstakes sponsored by Bethesda Softworks.

In order to redeem your prize, please respond to this email no later than January 31, 2020 at 2 PM ET. If we do not receive a response with your mailing address, your entry will be rendered ineligible and will result in your disqualification from the “The Season of the Dragon” Sweepstakes. Upon receipt of the information requested, your prize will be shipped to the address you provide (please allow approximately 8 weeks to receive your prize).

Marden-Kane Digital Promotions
575 Underhill Blvd. Suite 222, Syosset NY 11791

___________________

Has anyone else received one of these? @ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom can you confirm if this is legitimate? It seems odd I would get a mail and have only 2 days to reply to claim some prize from a sweepstakes I don't remember entering... And it seems strange the email it was sent from has nothing to do with any of ESO's companies.

Thanks for reading,
Lala

January1171

I'm only a player so I can't give you the official word - but...
Marden-Kane, Inc is the Adminstrator of the sweepstakes and Bethesda Softworks is the sponsor (you can see it in the official rules). The rules also state you would be emailed and have approximately 48 hours to claim. The rules do also refer to winners as "Potential Winner"

Again- I am by no means an official source, but the email you got seems in line with what would be expected. The only odd thing I see is that you said you don't recall entering.

redlink1979

@Lalayla Does the sender's e-mail looks legit? That's where I'd start looking.

Lalayla

Hrmm, do you have a URL that talks about this sweepstakes? As I mentioned, I have absolutely no recollection of entering anything like this. I do not enter online sweepstakes, and I'm wondering if somehow I was passively entered (say, by logging into the game or something?)

Hoping Gina or Jessica sees this today, if it is genuine, I'd go ahead and respond, but I am just very cautious about things like this online, as there are so SO many scams and fake mails and worse going around these days!

Thanks for answering, January1171!

DragonRacer

There was a Season of the Dragon Sweepstakes wherein folks got entries if they spent event tickets on feathers/berries, among other things, during a set timeframe a few months back. I thought one needed to actively enter their email address on ZOS's sweepstakes site, but potentially not?

At any rate, I'm jelly. I won nothing.

Lalayla

redlink1979 wrote: »

@Lalayla Does the sender's e-mail looks legit? That's where I'd start looking.

Yes, inasmuch as it is mardenkane.com (A company I've never heard of, and isn't any domain that I've seen from ZOS, Zenimax, Bethesda, or anything like that - from promotional mails etc., related to this game in the past.)

DragonRacer

Here you go, OP:

https://help.elderscrollsonline.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/48557/~/how-do-i-participate-in-the-season-of-the-dragon-events%3F

https://elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/slaydragonssavecats#sweepstakes

Raisin

https://esossl-a.akamaihd.net/uploads/Events/SlayDragonsSaveCats/Sweepstakes/Rules/ZeniMax_ESO_Q4_2019_Sweepstakes_Official_Rules_EN.pdf

As others have said, it all seems to check out except for the part where you don't remember entering at all.

JKorr

Lalayla wrote: »

Hrmm, do you have a URL that talks about this sweepstakes? As I mentioned, I have absolutely no recollection of entering anything like this. I do not enter online sweepstakes, and I'm wondering if somehow I was passively entered (say, by logging into the game or something?)

Hoping Gina or Jessica sees this today, if it is genuine, I'd go ahead and respond, but I am just very cautious about things like this online, as there are so SO many scams and fake mails and worse going around these days!

Thanks for answering, January1171!

https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/57033

Finally, every time you spend Event Tickets you’ve earned by doing in-game events (and not purchased directly from the Crown Store), you’ll earn bonus entries into the Season of the Dragon Sweepstakes, up to a maximum of 10! Check out the #SlayDragonsSaveCats page for more information on the Sweepstakes and its prizes, and view the official rules here.

You might not have realized you entered the sweepstakes.

Lalayla

DragonRacer wrote: »

There was a Season of the Dragon Sweepstakes wherein folks got entries if they spent event tickets on feathers/berries, among other things, during a set timeframe a few months back. I thought one needed to actively enter their email address on ZOS's sweepstakes site, but potentially not?

At any rate, I'm jelly. I won nothing.

Ahhhh so it WAS a passive entry! HA! I don't remember going to any website and entering anything like my email for a sweepstakes though. (I'm not saying I didn't, perhaps I did, if it was maybe shown on one of the live streams, or something... it just isn't something I do, entering online things like that.)

I did donate to the SaveTheCats foundation thing when the live stream was happening, possibly that entered me also? Interesting...

I do wish that the email I was sent gave more information and sounded a lot less like a scam, lol.

Raisin wrote: »

https://esossl-a.akamaihd.net/uploads/Events/SlayDragonsSaveCats/Sweepstakes/Rules/ZeniMax_ESO_Q4_2019_Sweepstakes_Official_Rules_EN.pdf

As others have said, it all seems to check out except for the part where you don't remember entering at all.

Thanks Raisin and Jkorr! Exactly what I was about to go Google Sleuthing for!

ZOS_SarahHecker

Lalayla wrote: »

redlink1979 wrote: »

@Lalayla Does the sender's e-mail looks legit? That's where I'd start looking.

Yes, inasmuch as it is mardenkane.com (A company I've never heard of, and isn't any domain that I've seen from ZOS, Zenimax, Bethesda, or anything like that - from promotional mails etc., related to this game in the past.)

It's legit Marden Kane helps us notify winners and award prizes.

Lalayla

ZOS_SarahHecker wrote: »

Lalayla wrote: »

redlink1979 wrote: »

@Lalayla Does the sender's e-mail looks legit? That's where I'd start looking.

Yes, inasmuch as it is mardenkane.com (A company I've never heard of, and isn't any domain that I've seen from ZOS, Zenimax, Bethesda, or anything like that - from promotional mails etc., related to this game in the past.)

It's legit Marden Kane helps us notify winners and award prizes.

Ohhh Thank you @ZOS_SarahHecker , and ALL you lovely community members who responded SO QUICKLY to this! You're awesome sauce I'll reply to the email now.

Thanks again everyone!

January1171

Here's the page, and if you scroll to the bottom there's a link to the rules https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/slaydragonssavecats#sweepstakes

From what I can tell, there shouldn't be any entries unless you initiated at least once.

Totally don't blame you for being cautious! I recently got a phishing email at work that even outlook registered as a legit email address for our system, but it wasn't. If it helps, here's a post directly from the Marden Kane website http://www.mardenkane.com/articles/are-you-for-real-5-reasons-people-dont-claim-their-prizes.html

"Now that you know what to look for when being contacted about being a potential winner, how can you tell if you are contacted about winning a promotion administered by Marden-Kane? Look for the following:

The email or call you get will come from a Marden-Kane employee or email address. Our email addresses are always from mardenkane.com or mkpromosource.com. Our main phone numbers are 516-365-3999 or 847-283-0441 and our fax number are 516-365-5250 or 847-283-0442. If you have any questions you can contact us directly at either number or at expert@mardenkane.com."


(Looks like you got your answers though Congrats!)

xxthir13enxx

Lalayla wrote: »

ZOS_SarahHecker wrote: »

Lalayla wrote: »

redlink1979 wrote: »

@Lalayla Does the sender's e-mail looks legit? That's where I'd start looking.

Yes, inasmuch as it is mardenkane.com (A company I've never heard of, and isn't any domain that I've seen from ZOS, Zenimax, Bethesda, or anything like that - from promotional mails etc., related to this game in the past.)

It's legit Marden Kane helps us notify winners and award prizes.

Ohhh Thank you @ZOS_SarahHecker , and ALL you lovely community members who responded SO QUICKLY to this! You're awesome sauce I'll reply to the email now.

Thanks again everyone!

Congrats!

Lalayla

January1171 wrote: »

"Now that you know what to look for when being contacted about being a potential winner, how can you tell if you are contacted about winning a promotion administered by Marden-Kane? Look for the following:

The email or call you get will come from a Marden-Kane employee or email address. Our email addresses are always from mardenkane.com or mkpromosource.com. Our main phone numbers are 516-365-3999 or 847-283-0441 and our fax number are 516-365-5250 or 847-283-0442. If you have any questions you can contact us directly at either number or at expert@mardenkane.com."


(Looks like you got your answers though Congrats!)

Yeah the only thing that doesn't match is the phone number in the email I was sent. I may call the number to be sure.

Thanks again everyone!

Lalayla

Just to update anyone who cares, lol

I did call the number, and actually spoke to the same person who sent the mail, she did let me know they were the 'Administrators' mentioned in the .pdf rules, and confirmed the win is legitimate. So yay! (Now I can't be one of those people who says 'I never win anything!'

Heheheh

DragonRacer

Now you're going to have to let us know WHAT you won when it arrives! LOL

You know, for those of us who didn't win and want to vicariously live through this moment.

Darkstorne

Lalayla wrote: »

Just to update anyone who cares, lol

I did call the number, and actually spoke to the same person who sent the mail, she did let me know they were the 'Administrators' mentioned in the .pdf rules, and confirmed the win is legitimate. So yay! (Now I can't be one of those people who says 'I never win anything!'

Heheheh

Congrats! Post photos when it arrives

Lalayla

Will do!

Nord_Raseri

Congratulations!