A major mistake to avoid if you are a lottery scammer would be to send out the exact same mail more than once. Especially using the exact same ticket number (5647560054 188), the same serial number (5368/02) and even the same lucky numbers (50-18-22-24-32-33) more than once.
Tonight when I received two emails with these numbers, to two of my e-mail accounts, I searched my mailboxes for more instances. And sure enough: These exact numbers where mentioned in no less than five lottery scam emails. The first time I saw a lottery scam using these numbers was over a year ago.
A search for [5647560054 188] on Google actually returns 74 results. All mentioning the same lottery scam. One of them is from this site, published on January 15, 2005. [Read it here!]
How can somebody be that stupid? It’s not especially difficult to write a script that changes these numbers dynamically while sending out the scam mails. But maybe, we should be happy that lottery scammers are as dumb as they are. But since they continu to send them out, I’ll just continue to publish them.
Here goes:
From: ukpayment_centre@o2.co.uk
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION.
Date: 22 April 2006 19:29:00 GMT+02:00
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;
Reply-To: ukpayment_centre@o2.co.ukNational Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369WINNING NOTIFICATION
We happily announce to you the draw (#471) of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International program held on 23RD APRIL, 2006.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number : 5647560054 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: 50-18-22-24-32-33 (bonus no.), which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i. ematch 5 plus bonus.
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.
This is from a total cash prize of £1,000,000 shared amongst the first four (4) lucky winners in this category i.e Match 5 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 until the end of the year. (31/12/2006)
Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon. (5647560054 188) In view of this, your £250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling) 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 funds as soon as you contact him.
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.
Please you are advised to contact the agent with your winning numbers, 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 fiduciary agent:
PAYMENT CENTRE.
Mr.Brown Walter.
E-MAIL :release-department@paymentcentre.wanadoo.co.uk
Fax:+44-87-1253-0429CONGRATULATIONS FROM THE MEMBERS AND STAFF OF UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.
Yours faithfully,
Mr. Brian Hunt.
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.
NATIONAL LOTTERY.Mr. Brian Hunt.
Online coordinator