THE EMAIL SCAMS ARE BACK!

The email scams or the Nigerian scams (or whatever you want to call them) are back but with more imagination this time which makes them sound not only possible but also very plausible. Take a look at what I received this morning:

Fortune Sweepstakes
40 Victoria Street
Hertfordshire, AL1 3TG
United Kingdom

Ref: FTS/745/06
Batch: 308867OS



WINNING NOTIFICATION

Over the years the prestigious Fortune Sweepstakes has set out
and sucessfully organised Sweepstakes on a daily, weekly, and annual
basis.
We have equally maintained a standard unrivaled in the industry as it
concerns the pay out of winnings to sucessful participants.

In line with the commemorating event marking our 10th year anniversary
we rolled out over £2,000.000.00 (Two Million Great Britain Pounds)
for our 10th year Anniversary Draws. Participants for the draws were
randomly selected and drawn from a wide range of web hosts which enjoy
our patronage. The selection was made through a computer draw system
attaching personalised email addresses to ticket numbers.

Your email address as indicated was drawn and attached to ticket
number 001768432463 with serial numbers FTS/8070337201/06 and drew
the lucky numbers 15-22-24-48-50-37(30) which subsequently won you
£250,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great Britain Pounds) as
one of the 10 jackpot winners in this draw.
You have therefore won the entire winning sum of £250,000.00
(Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great Britain Pounds). The draws
registered as Draw number one was conducted in Brockley, London
United Kingdom on the Ist of Dec 2006.
These lottery Draws are commemorative and as such special.

Please be informed by this winning notification to make contact with
your designated agent who shall by duty guide you through the process
to facilitate the release of your winnings.

To file for your claim please contact your fiduciary agent

Mr Louiz Livinston
Fortune Sweepstakes Fiduciary Agent
Tel: +447024014194
Fax:+44-870135-4484
Email: fortunesweepstakes_claimsagent3@yahoo.co.uk
You are advised to contact your fiduciary agent with the following
details to avoid unnecessary delays and complications.
Your Name (in Full), Country, Ticket Number, Batch Number, Serial
Number and Lucky Numbers as indicated in this winning Notification.

I wish to on behalf of all members and staff of the Fortune
Sweepstakes congratulate you on your win and wish you the
best of luck as you spend your good fortune.

Thank you for being part of our commemorative 10th Anniversary Draws.

Sincerely,

Dr. Albert Maringer
Fortune Sweepstakes Co-ordinator.
NB:
PLEASE NOTE! Any claim not made before seven (7) working days from date
of notification will indicate that the winner has voluntarily forfeited
his/her winnings.


This recent scam is more imaginative because it states that "my email address was attached to the winning number!" instead of the usual and rather stupid announcement that I am the winner of a lottery that I never bought in the first instance. If you receive such an email, just ignore it. Don't be like the foolish engineer in Penang who parted with RM88,000 before he realized that it was a scam! Some people just never learn. I have already written 4 posts on these scams this year alone.
(http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/12/9/nation/16271522&sec=nation)