Accents
Beware of e-mail scams! (2)
A standing joke goes how Juan, Pedro, and Pablo and their counterparts on the distaff side-Juana, Maria, and Ana would hopelessly sigh that never ever could they have the slimmest chance of winning in the lotto. Of course, never ever could they have a winning chance because, in the first place, they don't buy a lotto ticket, not one. Only a miracle could make Juan, et al. win without purchasing a ticket. Thus, when I was informed that I won the huge sum of 69, 215 Great British Pounds equivalent to P6,778,462.50, this doubting Tomasita almost believed in miracles. I won without making any bet at all! From the millions upon millions of yahoo addresses, my very own e-mail address was the one attached to the winning number along with a few about-to-be-scammed fellow winners.
In the previous issue, I ended with having sent back the Claims Verification Form duly filled up. The tale of the e-mail continues two days after with the reply that I have been cleared for payment. For purposes of this column, I save on space by omitting the address and logo of the UK National Lottery, reference numbers, some redundant data, and one or two e-mails.
ATTN: Julia Carreon-Lagoc
I want to inform you that your verification details have been received and have been processed. I must say that you should count yourself extremely lucky to have emerged as one of our lucky winners in the UK National Lottery Online Sweepstakes International Program.
As you already know, all participants for the online version were selected randomly from the World Wide Web through a computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations and corporate bodies that are listed online and each email address was attatched to a ticket number. Your email address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 was selected which automatically makes you one of our lucky winners.I want to inform that you have been cleared for payment and your winning cheque is ready for pick up.
Please kindly let us know when you will be available at our office to claim your winnings. Note that you have 2 weeks deadline to claim your winnings before it is returned to the lottery office to be used in upcoming draws.
However, if you will not be available within this period, kindly get back to us so that we can make arrangements for you to receive your winning cheque, certificate and other vital documents through a secured and efficient courier service.
I await your prompt reply.
Mr. Richard Spence
Claims Department /The UKNL FoundationTel: + (44) 703 191 2876/Fax: + (44) 707 5023708
For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claim is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.
Of course, I replied that I couldn't meet the two-week deadline, and could they just make arrangements to send me the check? Following is the response:
Thu, 29 Sep 2005 20:01:12 +0100 (BST)
From: 'Richard Spence' <mr_richardspence@yahoo.co.uk> Yahoo! DomainKeys has confirmed that this message was sent by yahoo.co.uk.
Subject: CONTACT THE COURIER COMPANY
To: 'Julia Lagoc' <juliaclagoc@yahoo.com>The U.K. National Lottery
P.O.Box 1010 Liverpool L70 1NL.
Customer Service/Claims DepartmentGood Day,
I am in receipt of your email and I want to inform you that your winning package has been forwarded to our affiliate courier company CROSS COUNTRY EXPRESS DELIVERIES <http://www.cross-country-express.com> in accordance with your request.
Be informed that you wil be responsible for the cost of delivery of your winning package which consists of your cheque, winning certificate and security documents.
Your are to contact Mr. Blake Lewis of Cross Country Express Delivery Services via email and provide him with a copy of your verification details.
Mr. Blake Lewis
Customer Service Dept., Cross Country Express Delivery Services.
Email: info@cross-country-express.orgCongratulations once again,
Mr. Richard Spence
Here's where the scam is about to begin: The URGENT UPDATE below has directed me to correspond to the Cross Country Express via a new e-mail address, followed by another e-mail, the Delivery Schedule Form addressed to a Valued customer, and to think that I've never been their customer whatever they mean by the term.
Sat, 1 Oct 2005 18:44:04 +0100 (BST)
From: 'CROSS COUNTRY EXPRESS' <info_crosscountryexpress@yahoo.co.uk> Yahoo! DomainKeys has confirmed that this message was sent by yahoo.co.uk.
Subject: URGENT UPDATE
To: juliaclagoc@yahoo.comDear Valued customer,
We are sorry to inform you that we are experiencing some technical issues and as a result our email address (info@cross-country-express.org) will be temporarily unavailable.
Any further correspondence should be done via our online contact form at http://www.cross-country-express.com/contact.php or you use our temporary email address: info_crosscountryexpress@yahoo.co.uk . We apologise for any inconveniencies.
Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.
Warm regards,
Mr. Blake Lewis
<info_crosscountryexpress@yahoo.co.uk>Subject: DELIVERY SCHEDULE FORM
To: Julia Lagoc <juliaclagoc@yahoo.com>
Your winning package has been picked up from the UK National Lottery Service and is ready for despatch.
Package Contents: Cheque, Winning Certificate and Security Documents.
Package Worth: £69,215.00
Delivery time :.....................( time of recipient's availability)Service Options:
2nd Day by air : 497 pounds sterling; 3 Business days : 462 pounds sterling; 4 Business days : 421 pounds sterlingBe informed that the above costs also includeInsurance and VAT.
On acknowledgement of this email, I will furnish you with information on how to make the required payments. Thanks for patronage.
Warm regards,
Mr. Blake Lewis.
Customer Services Dept., Cross Country Express Delivery Services.
I replied stating, among other things, the mailing address, time of availability, and contact phone number, telling further that the cost of delivery (I opted for the 4 business days of 421 pounds sterling) be deducted from the prize money which did not meet their approval:
<info_crosscountryexpress@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Dear Customer,
We are very sorry to disappoint you because the cost of delivery can not be deducted from your prize money. This is accordance with strict instructions from the UK National Lottery Service stating that your prize money is covered by a hard cover insurance policy and as such can not be deducted from until the funds have been remitted in full to you.
I would like you to get back to us as soon as possible so that we can upload your delivery address into our database and issue you a tracking number so that you can always check the status of your package on our website.
I will await your prompt reply.
Mr. Blake Lewis.
The series of e-mails that started Sept. 25 with the WINNING NOTIFICATION ended on Oct. 5. I acquiesced to sending the money for the delivery service, but first I must have their comments on the WARNING I reserved sending them for last, the e-mail that my son-in-law David Dingus had circulated to family and friends. Read on:
To Whom It May Concern:
Just a warning to everyone. I have been receiving a lot of convincing emails from an organization called the UK National Lottery claiming that I won. This is indeed a fraud. Please do not give them any information such as social security numbers or bank account information. I did much research on the net and found this to be so.
Please be warned.
Wed, 5 Oct 2005 22:25:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: 'Julia Lagoc' <juliaclagoc@yahoo.com>
Subject: PACKAGE DELIVERY
To: 'CROSS COUNTRY EXPRESS' <info_crosscountryexpress@yahoo.co.uk>
CC: Mr. Richard Spence mr_richardspence@yahoo.co.ukMr. Blake Lewis
Dear Sir:
Please comment on the WARNING before I send you the money for your delivery service. In this connection, I would like to inform you that Mr. Richard Spence has not complied with my request for his comments on the said warning. Thank you for your prompt reply on this matter.
Sincerely yours,
Julia Carreon-Lagoc
A month has passed with me waiting in vain for comments from Messrs. Spence and Lewis. If silence is a sign of culpability, this is it. With all the courteous naivete of a letter-writer, I sustained answering their e-mails. I was thinking of giving them enough rope with which to hang themselves once they ask for social security numbers, bank account information, and some such data to consummate the sting. Alas, to expose and disappoint them of draining me of my millions (?), nay, of whatever little monies I have stashed. Next issue: Security Information.
(Comments to lagoc@hargray.com)