Should I give this any credibility?

08/03/2005 01:04:36 PM · #1

Here's an e-mail I just received. Sounds way too good to be true. Anybody else ever got something like this? They have a walla.com adress, doesn't sound legit at all.

Here we go (reference number were changed to Xs:

LOTERIA PRIMITIVA SWEEPSTAKE PROMOTION.
CALLE/BUSMAN EL-BUENO, 13728007 MADRID SPAIN.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF: LP/XXXXXXXXXXX/XX BATCH: XX/XXXXXX/IPD
AWARD NOTIFICATION FINAL NOTICE.

WE ARE PLEASE TO INFORM YOU OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WINNERS OF LOTTERY PRIMITIVA
SWEEPSTAKES/INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS HELD ON 15th MARCH 2004.YOUR CONTACT IS ATTACHED TO
THE TICKET NUMBER XXX-XXXXXXXX-XXX, WITH SERIAL NUMBER 99375 DREW THE LUCKY NUMBERS
01-15-37-38-48-49 AND CONSEQUENTLY WON THE LOTTERY IN CATEGORY 1B. YOU HAVE BEEN THEREFORE
APPROVED THE SUM OF EUR1,500,000.00(ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND EUROS)CREDITED TO THE
FILE NUMBER: LP/XXXXXX/ES/XXX THIS IS FROM THE TOTAL PRICE MONEY OF EUR31.472.765.00 SHARED
AMONG THE TWENTY THREE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL WINNERS IN ALL CATEGORIES. ALL
PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED THROUGH COMPUTER BALOTTING SYSTEM DRAWN FROM 45,000.00 NAMES
FROM AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, AFRICA, EUROPE,AMERICA AND ASIA AS PART OF OUR INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTION PROGRAM WHICH IS CONDUCTED EVERY TWO YEARS.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

YOUR FUND IS NOW INSURED TO YOUR CONTACT. DUE TO THE COMPUTER MIX-UP OF SOME NUMBERS AND CONTACTS, WE ASK YOU TO KEEP THIS AWARD STRICKLY FROM PUBLIC NOTICE UNTILL YOUR CLAIM HAS BEING PROCESSED AND YOUR MONEY REMITTED TO YOUR NOMINATED ACCOUNT.THIS IS PART OF OUR
SECURITY ADVICE TO AVOID DOUBLE CLAIMING OR UNSCRUPULOUS ACTS BY THE PARTICIPANTS OF THIS
PROGRAM. YOU ARE TO CONTACT THE UNDERSIGNED OFFICE FOR THE CLAIMING OF YOUR AWARD PRICE: winoffice@walla.com SINCE ALL WE HAVE NOW IS THE WINNING TICKET NUMBER AND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE WINNING TICKET NUMBER.FOR DUE PROCESSING AND REMITTANCE OF
YOUR AWARD PRICE, YOU ARE TO REPLY THIS MAIL STATING YOUR NUMBERS. DO NOTE THAT ALL PRICE
MUST BE CLAIM NOT LATER THAN 31st AUGUST 2005. AFTER THIS DATE, ALL FUNDS WILL BE RETURNED AS
UNCLAIMED TO THE MINISTRY.

NOTE: IN ORDER TO AVOID UNNECESSARY DELAY AND COMPLICATIONS,PLEASE QOUTE YOUR REFERENCE
AND BATCH NUMBERS IN EVERY OF YOUR CORESPONDENCE. FURTHERMORE,SHOULD THERE BE ANY
CHANGE OF YOUR ADDRESS DO INFORM THIS OFFICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. CONGRATULATIONS
AGAIN FROM ALL OUR STAFF.
SINCERELY
DENNIS COLE
0034-627-128-221: CALL NOW FOR CONFIRMATION.
CONTACT THIS OFFICE TO CLAIM YOUR AWARD WINNING PRICE:
winoffice@walla.com

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

08/03/2005 01:06:14 PM · #2

Should I start building my photostudio in some cool part of town? Hahahaha!

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

08/03/2005 01:08:47 PM · #3

Sounds like something similar to the Nigerian Letter scam.

The RCMP keeps files on these guys for investigation. There's a website for reporting them.

//www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/qc/faq/nigeria_e.htm

send the complete email to wafl@phonebusters.com. (as stated on the site)

kosmikkreeper

Nikon D300s

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

08/03/2005 01:14:44 PM · #4

scam.... walla.com is like Hotmail so this is not serious :-)

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

08/03/2005 01:16:17 PM · #5

Thanks for link... I'm sure it's a scam and there's no way I'll send them a penny! I'm too smart for that. I did send them a e-mail asking who the hell they were...

Canon EOS-20D

08/03/2005 01:26:36 PM · #6

No email entirely in caps should ever be given credibility.

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

08/03/2005 01:26:58 PM · #7

The answers provided here are quite funny.

//www.scamorama.com/ladfaq.html

gwphoto

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

08/03/2005 01:48:31 PM · #8

I know where you can buy bridge for $1, in Brooklyn.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

08/03/2005 02:07:58 PM · #9

Originally posted by mk:

No email entirely in caps should ever be given credibility.

Hahaha! Good point!

Konador

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

08/03/2005 03:03:13 PM · #10

SOUNDS VERY CREDIBLE TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!111

Message edited by author 2005-08-03 15:03:27.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/03/2005 03:06:20 PM · #11

Aaaaahhh... What would I do with one and a half million euros anyways? Ok, dream time!!!

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

08/03/2005 03:15:35 PM · #12

Reminds me of the Nigerian Business Proposals (which I have been collecting for fun for a few years).

LoudDog

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

08/03/2005 03:20:04 PM · #13

It's not a scam, I sent them all my account numbers and I should be getting a fat check any day now!

PaulMdx

Canon EOS-1D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

08/03/2005 03:29:44 PM · #14

Originally posted by kpriest:

Reminds me of the Nigerian Business Proposals (which I have been collecting for fun for a few years).

Yep, it's almost certainly of the same origin.

Great collection. :-D

Riponlady

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

08/03/2005 03:30:39 PM · #15

Originally posted by louddog:

It's not a scam, I sent them all my account numbers and I should be getting a fat check any day now!

But your accounts will be empty and the cheque will be dud!

:)
P

BlackDot

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

08/03/2005 03:42:25 PM · #16

Hehe! If I actually won anything every time I got one of those letters, I'd be worth more than Billy Gates right now.

I think they call it a 401 scam here. Not sure. Sorry.

sabphoto

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

08/03/2005 03:56:11 PM · #17

it sure looks like a scam and I would most likely delete it without reading too much but I don't get the idea of this?

Maybe I'm being stupid here but...Usually they ask you to provide them with account numbers or send them money or something, this doesn't seem to do that (unless I missed it, it is difficult to read all caps). Or maybe once your contact you they ask for that info?

Weird, I'd still be prone to avoid it like the plague.