Venditoris: Beware of Scams

Here’s a variation on the Nigerian Letter Scheme. This is about the tenth one I have received over that past few months.

We are categorizing it as YANL (Yet Another Nigerian Letter), except it comes from the UK and has a slightly different twist to it. But it appears to be a similar type of scam. First you hook the fish, then you reel them in. This is the “Hook”.

It claims to be an announcement of my lottery prize, yet it it (curiously) not addressed to me or anyone in particular.

It is written in much better English than a typical Nigerian Letter, so it probably comes from the UK. Could be a joke by a newbie on the Web with an age of 10 years or so, too. But I doubt it, they are usually too occupied with school.

TO: (left blank)

FROM:”marylaura moore” <sundaygoodies@hughes.net>

Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!

These are your identification numbers:

Batch number…………………YM XXXXXXXX
Reff number…………………..YMNNNNNNX
Winning number……………….YMNNNNNN

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of Five hundred thousand, Great Britain Pound Sterlings(£500,000.00) for the Sat 09 Feb 2008 Lottery promotion which is organized by YAHOO/MSN LOTTERY INC & WINDOWS LIVE. YAHOO/MSN & MICROSOFT WINDOWS, collects all the email addresses of the people that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to INTERNET we only select five people every Month as our winners through electronic balloting System without the winner applying, we congratulate you for being oneof the people selected.

These numbers fall within your Location file, you are requested to contact the events manager, send your winning identification numbers to him,to enable him verify your claims.How ever you will have to fill and submit this form to the events manager for verification & direction on how you can claim your winning fund.

Forward the following details to help facilitate the processing of our claims:

1.Full Names……..
2.Address……….
3.Phone Number……….
4.Sex…………
5.Age……….
6.Occupation…….
7.Nationality.
8.Country of Residence………..
9.Amount Won………
10.Date Notified……..

(CONTACT EVENTS MANAGER)
Name:Dr.Christopher Mcdonald
Tell: +44 70457 92599
Email:lotteryclaims01unit@yahoo.co.uk

Thank you and Accept my hearty congratulations once again!

Yours faithfully,
Mr.Brain Hunt

What do you do with such an email. MY plan, after I store a copy for the FBI inquiry team, is to consign it to the trash heap, or the spam box and instruct my spam filter to ignore all similar ones in the future.

If you deem to reply to it, then you probably need a new life and a good dose of anti-gullibility tonic.

How’s this for timeliness. Fast on the heels of the letter of Feb 19, comes the following missive apparently from a “World Class” Banker in Nigeria with lots of money to “give” away!

(Give me a break-it was not even addressed to me, but rather to the person sending it, how unique..er.. quaint..er..dumb!).

There are so many of these scams floating around Internet Space, that we have created a new posting category - YANL, or Yet Another Nigerian Letter.

If anyone can think of a more humorous term we could use..in mixed company, that is. We’d be interested in using it.

Perhaps if we ridicule these enough and poke fun at them, the unaware public will begin to recognise that the joke is on them if they reply to such garbage.

Heard any good Nigerian Letter Jokes lately, like the “>Brad Christian’s Porcine Princess story?

Here it is quote-unquote

“Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:17:37 +0530 (IST)
From: “Robert Duke” <robertduke@gala.net>
To: robertduke@gala.net
Subject: Acknowledgment

OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN DUE PROCESS AND FOREIGN PAYMENT MANAGEMENT BOARD.
OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL.

RE: YOUR DELAYED CONTRACT PAYMENT.

Firstly, I want to assure you that I can guarantee the immediate payment of your contract sum to you without further delays.

In a brief introduction, I AM THE CHAIRMAN DUE PROCESS AND FOREIGN PAYMENT MANAGEMENT BOARD with the OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.

My office is vested with the sole duty of verifying and approving/monitoring every international inheritance/contract payment transactions above USD$1 MILLION coming out of Nigeria .

And presently your payment file has been referred to my desk for final ratification and recommendation from the Presidency, for payment to your nominated account. This is in line with our constitutional payment policies.

However, I write you personally outside my official capacity to inform you on my findings concerning the delay in the payment of your contract sum.

Based on my proper review of your payment file, I am aware of several reasons behind the delay in your Payment, which has probably cost you a lot of money.

But I want you to know that I will assist you to redeem your due payment without further delays.

Yours truly,

Robert Duke”

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