Throughout most of Asia there is a strong belief – conscious or otherwise – in the law of karma, the concept that positive thoughts, words and deeds bring good luck to those who do them. As a result, many Asians play lotteries to give their good karma the opportunity to manifest itself in the form of financial windfalls.

In China, for example, a lottery called Shuangseqiu draws millions of participants with prize pots in the hundreds of millions of Yuan. Getting all seven of your red numbers right earns 70 percent of the jackpot; six correct reds plus one blue wins 30 percent; five correct reds and two additional numbers wins 20 percent, and three or more correctly chosen reds and one blue nabs 10 percent.

However, the lottery business in mainland China is far from ideal. Its unregulated administration, monopolistic management structure and taxation policies leave much to be desired. According to experts, the only way to address these issues is to introduce laws that would set up a centralized lottery administrative system and promote market-oriented reforms.

It is crucial to avoid falling victim to the Asian Continental Lottery Scam Email and any other lottery scams. To protect yourself, report these scams to your local authorities and online fraud agencies such as Scamwatch or the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Change your passwords and security questions on all of your accounts, including email, and monitor your bank statements for any suspicious activity. Seek emotional support from family and friends, or a counselor if you are struggling to cope with the stress of losing money and personal information.