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Subject: YOU HAVE WON (Contact Claims Officer)
From: postmaster@informat.com
RACK N:: XXXXXXXXXX
OFFICIAL PRIZE NOTIFICATION
This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash prize of
$2,500,000.00( Two million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars)
in the International programs held on the 14th April 2007 in London
Uk.The
selection process was carried out through random selection in our
computerized email selection system(s) from a database of over 250,000
email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world.The British
American Tobacco Lottery is approved by the British Gaming Board and
also
Licensed by the The International Association of Gaming Regulators
(IAGR).To begin the processing of your prize you are to contact our
executive claims officer through the contact stated below with your
personal information for verification purpose:
***********************************************************************
****
Barrister: XXXXXX XXXXX.
Fudiciary Agent/Payment Officer.
CELL PHONE:+#### #### ####
Globe House # XXXXXXX Place London XXX XXX
E-mail:britishofficial_XXXXXXXXXXX@XXXXXXX.XX.XX
***********************************************************************
****
1.Name in full:
2.Address:
3.Nationality:
4.Age:
5.Occupation:
6.Phone/Fax:
7.Present Country:
8.Tracking Number:
***********************************************************************
****
Winners are advised to keep their winning details/information from the
public to avoid fraudulent claim. *Winner under the age of 18 is
automatically disqualified.
*Staff of the British American Tobacco Company is not to partake in
this Lottery.
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Okay, pretty straightforward phishing letter. "Oh hey, hi, you won millions, please send me enough information to steal everything you own and you'll find out in 3 or so months (after I've vanished without a trace) that this was all a scam. HA HA sucker!"
Now, for those that might be asking - "wait, where'd you read that?", let me explain.
1st clue - the title. Spammers are a fairly uncreative lot and tend to want to snatch your attention with a big flashy "YOU WON!" title.
2nd - The random selection of e-mail addresses from all over the world?? Give me a break dude.
3rd - I'd never even heard of these guys until I had won millions from them. Now, mind you, they're real, I know that, but I certainly never entered my e-mail in anything of theirs so where'd they get it? Well *THEY* didn't, the scammer got it by either buying a mailing list or by trolling around the internet with bots.
4th thru 6th - Okay, wait, you're giving me MILLIONS of dollars in US currency and you don't even know my NAME? So, yeah, I just pass off name, age, address, country where I live, yada yada oh and my phone number, and what the heck, let's toss in my nationality just to be sure you have enough information for identity theft. Would not be good to sell my information off to someone of Asian descent if I am African-American, huh?
And let's not forget 7th - "keep their winning details/information from the public" This means, "Oh! Don't tell anyone because we're doing something HIGHLY ILLEGAL here and we don't want you to send us to jail! So no telling anyone."
So I of course Googled "British American Tobacco Company" and went to their contact area to tell them someone is using their name to steal people's information and they already have a notice up about it.
Beware: Lottery scam
Fraudsters are sending emails falsely claiming people have won money in a British American Tobacco lottery. Sorry, there is no lottery - we do not run lotteries. Police advise you should delete the emails without opening or replying. For further advice visit: www.getsafeonline.org/
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