Winner!

This morning I checked an email address I use infrequently and was “pleased” to learn that I had won the Euro equivalent of $943,400.16 (see the copied email below). I haven’t won that much money in an unsolicited foreign sweepstakes/lottery for nearly a year. It really is very kind of questionable foreign entities to be so generous as to give away money at no benefit to themselves while promptly notifying the winners of all the sensitive personal information they need to divulge in order to claim their prize. I mean they even provided me with an overseas phone number to call where they can then take control of my phone line and make unauthorized calls amassing insanely expensive charges for myself, which I will be powerless to eradicate from my phone bill. But hey, who cares… I can afford it now. I’m rich!

Seriously though, I hope no one falls for these scams. Even a simple Google™ search came up with twenty different results for pages warning about this particular phone number.

Phishing scams are another type of fraud that really annoy me. If you EVER get a link to follow in your email, even if it appears legitimate, just take the few extra seconds required to type in the URL you know is correct, rather than blindly following the link. Those few seconds might save you years of grief while you try to explain away the second and third “you” traveling around the country and living off your money.

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Phone numbers and email address intentionally removed from email below just in case you haven't yet realized this is a scam.
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Universal Loterij!!!
Kikenstraat 1743
1104KG Amsterdam
Netherland
(Customer Services)
WINNING NOTIFICATION:
Ref: XYL /26510460037/05
Batch: 24/00319/IPD

Dear Winner,

We happily announce to you the draw (#1024) of the NETHERLAND NATIONAL LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International program held on Saturday 21th october 2005.Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:56475600545 188 withSerial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e match 5 plus bonus.You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of ( Eight Hundred Thousand Euro) in cash credited to file XYL /26510460037/05 .This is from a total cash prize of 8 million Euro shared amongst the (10) lucky winners in this category i.e Match 1 plus bonus.All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions,associations,and corporate bodies that are listed online. This promotion takes place weekly.Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon.In view of this, your Euro 800,000.00 ( Eight Hundred Thousand Euro) would be released to you by any of our payment offices in Europe.Our European agent will immediately commence the process, to facilitate the release of your fund , do provide to this office the following information : Name: Date of Birth: Sex: Occupation: Tel/Mobiel: Fax Number: Country Code: Email: Nationality: Next of Kin: File Reference Number: Serial Number: Ticket Number: Draw Lucky Numberer: 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.This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned. To file for your claim, please contact our claims agent:Overseas Claims UnitNetherland Lottery FiduciaryDr Edwind BrefordEmail: [email address removed] Tel:+##-###-###-### Fax:+##-###-###-###. Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him. You may wish to establish contact via e-mail with the particulars presented above citing the batch and reference numbers to this letter.Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and press anonymity until the end of proceedings, and beyond where they so desire. Be further advised to maintain the strictest level of confidentiality until the end of proceedings to circumvent problems associated with fraudulent claims. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Goodluck from me and members of staff of the Netherland NATIONAL LOTTERY.

Yours faithfully,
REV. GEORGE HARRIS
Online co-ordinator for Netherland NATIONALLOTTERY,
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P.S. If I don't blog for a while it's because I'm brainstorming how to spend my million dollars.