Here is the e-mail that was sent just to me three days ago.
From: Royal Dutch Lotto Promotion [mailto:steve.volks@post.cz] Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 1:06 PM To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Congratulations,you are a lotto Winner ROYAL DUTCH SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY,THE NETHERLANDS, BURDENSTRAAT 21B, 2053 DS AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS. FROM: THE DESK OF STEVE VOLK THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT, REF: OYL /2551256003/22 BATCH: 14/0017/IPD Attn: Sir AWARD NOTIFICATION; FINAL NOTICE We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today, 11th, of June winners of the ROYAL DUTCH SWEEPSTAKES/ INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS held on 20TH December. 2002.Your company () attached to ticket number 025-1146-1992-750, with serial number 2113-22 drew the lucky numbers 13-15-22-37-39-43, and consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out ofUS$3.5m in cash credited to file REF NO. OYL/2551256003/22. This is from total prize of US$40,400,000.00 shared among the seventeen international winners in this category. All participantswere selected through a computer ballot system drawn form 15 million names from Australia, New Zealand, America, Europe and North America and Africa as part of International Promotions Program, which is conducted annually. CONGRATULATIONS! Your fund is now deposited with a Financial Institution insured in yourname. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming orunscrupulous acts by participants of this program. We hope with a part of you prize, you will participate in our end of year high stakesUS$5.5 billion International Lottery. To begin your claim, please contact Our Foreign Service Payment Director Dr Erol Bihorac E mail: erol.bihorac@123.com For due processing andremittance of your prize to a designated account of your choice.Be categorically inform that any necessary obligation/requirement should be met by individuah beneficiary towards remmitance of your fund to your account. Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than 10th October 2003. After this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed. NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every one of your correspondences with your agent. Furthermore, shouldthere be any change of your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible. Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program. Sincerely Mr Steve Volk. The Promotion Manager ROYAL DUTCH SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY,THE NETHERLANDS N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualification. sorry for the late information Thanks Mr Steve Volk.
Okay, so now the Dutch have joined the game. How quaint. Where do these clowns get my e-mail address? Fortunately, it's the address of an account that is being moved to a new one, thanks to cable system corporate buyouts. Most of the time my real e-mail accounts don't get bombed with spam. I actually get very little. This one account though, is really a target for con-jobs from overseas. I still don't know why it should be this one and not others. This isn't even my Hotmail account, which is the one I give whenever I have to do business with any anonymous commercial site. You'd think that anyone with the talent, time and energy to dream up these things would have a legitimate job, wouldn't you.
Frankly, to be a critic here for a moment, I find this e-mail attempt to be interesting. The approach is long on explanation and official looking wording and layout. The verisimilitude is striking as well. Clearly, these guys have more time on their hands than the Nigerians, although I definitely find the Nigerian scams much more charming, with their broken English, and more personal human-interest approach: "I got you address from you local Chamber of Commerce, as they were recommend you as a moral and discreet person." [sic]
Yes, the Nigerians are certainly staying on top of things. I have heard that scam e-mails have overtaken oil as the country's chief export! It really is inspiring to see such ambition and hard work on the part of the Nigerians -- they even have their own international convention! Perhaps the Dutch fellows above could look into it. Maybe they will come home with a few useful insights. I think the Third World has quite a bit to teach the European Union -- if only they would listen.
