Note: I'll be updating this as I go
Got some blatantly rubbish spam the other day:
From: XXX@ifsertao-pe.edu.br
Date: 14 March 2011 11:54
Subject: NotificationYou Have Won The EuroMillions Lottery
Contact: Edward Louis via Email: euro-millions16@live.com
************
How little effort! (The X's being added by me to give the guy with the hacked account some privacy). So I decided to reply.
A couple of points to note on the first email:
- It was very short, presumably to give the spam filter less to work with
- It pushs you to reply to a different email address, this means that spam filters won't block the contact with the spammer (at the live.com address) because you initiate the conversation.
So I was curious to see how deep the rabbit holes goes....
************
From: John Grant (emw2011@live.co.uk)
Sent: 14 March 2011 12:14:02
To: euro-millions16@live.com
Subject: Re: NotificationDear Mr Louis,
Very pleased to receive your email about the euro millions lottery, but I think you might have the wrong person as I haven't played the lottery for the last two weeks.
Thanks,
J Grant
**********
From: Edward Louis (euro-millions16@live.com)
Sent: 14 March 2011 14:49:13
To: emw2011@live.co.uk
Subject: Contact The EuroMillions Lottery Transfer Department For ClaimsCongratulations
I am in receipt of your email and I must say that you should count yourself extremely lucky to have emerged as one of our three winners in this year's lucky dip sweepstakes of EuroMillions Lottery. Your email address was randomly selected along with others from over 324,000 website all over the world, of which your email address (emw2011@live.co.uk) was attached to a ticket number"099-22-04-552". Your BATCH NUMBER is 010/04/Euxp , and REFERENCE NUMBER is EU/8364x6/10. Your address which was attached to this ticket number "099-22-04-552", eventually emerge you as one of the lucky winners of Millionaire Raffle; GLS470078 which is four million, Five hundred and twenty eight, thousand Pounds Sterling (£4,528,000.00 GBP) and you are now entitled to the sum of One Million, Five Hundred and Ninety Three thousand Pounds Sterling (£1,593,000.00 GBP). You are to contact the bank with the below details to receive your won funds.
Your Ticket Number: 099-22-04-552
Your Batch Number: 010/04/Euxp
Reference Number: EU/8364x6/10
Amount Won: £1,593,000.00 GBP
Also Include your
Name:--------------------Address:-----------
City/State:---------------Country Of
Residence:----------------Marital Status:------ Nationality:-----
Gender:-------------------Date Of Birth:--------Email:-------------
Occupation:---------------Tel/Fax:--------------
Below is the Contact details of the Transfer Security Department;
Barclays Bank Plc
Frank Richard Moore
Direct Tel: {+44} 704 579 4634
Direct Fax: {+44}702 405 9863
Emails: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
In view of this, you are to simply follow instructions carefully to enable the security department commence your funds transfer without unnecessary delay. Ensure you keep the Fiduciary Updated with your dealings with the bank.
Congratulations
Regards,
Edward Louis
**********
Anyone else notice that 3*1,593,000 = 4,779,000 not 4,528,000? But it's an error in my favour so I carry on regardless, and start:
**********
From: John Grant (emw2011@live.co.uk)
Sent: 14 March 2011 14:59:06
To: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
Subject: FW: Contact The EuroMillions Lottery Transfer Department For ClaimsDear Mr Moore,
I received the email below with your details attached, and I wanted to check if I have genuinely won this amazing sum of money. I bank with Barclays and would appreciate your reasurance before I proceed.
Thank you for your time,
Mr J Grant
************
From: TRANSFER ONLINE (transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc)
Sent: 14 March 2011 18:33:22
To: emw2011@live.co.uk
Subject: ACCOUNT REGISTRATIONWelcome To Barclays Bank Plc, United Kingdom.
Registered Office:1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP,
United Kingdom.
Direct Tel: {+44}702 401 XXXX
Direct Fax: {+44}709 298 XXXX
Emails: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
Date: 14/03/2011Att: J Grant
On behalf of this great Bank, I am glad to receive your email on my desk from Mr Edward Louis. And we are ready to give you all the necessary assistance needed to ensure that you successfully transfer your winning funds safely out of our bank to your designated bank. You are assured of our total cooperation while you carryout(sic) the transfer of your winning funds. We want to bring it to your notice that you are obligated to follow all legal requirements of the government of the United Kingdom during the course of the transfer of your winning funds.
I am glad to inform you that we have completed the verification of your winnings, having you as the beneficiary of the sum of One Million, Five Hundred and Ninety Three thousand Pounds Sterling £1,593,000.00 GBP, and is $2,369,345.50 USD
We have received all the information required to verify your claims so you can commence the transfer of the funds to your nominated personal account.
Therefore, you will have to activate the domiciliary account from which the funds will be transferred to your nominated personal account through our bank to bank swift wire transfer.
First, complete the online registration information given below, needed to create your domiciliary account with us.
Personal Information:
First name:
Last name:
Gender:
Date Of birth:Contact Address:
Name of Company (optional):
Home Telephone Number:
Office Telephone Number:
Mobile Telephone Number:
E-mail:
Nationality:
State:
Zip:
Account Details:
Account Name:
Currency:
Account Type:
Other Bank Details:
Bank Name:
Account Name:
Account Number:
Routing Number/ Sort Code:
Details of Your Next of Kin:
Full name:
Address:
Relationship with next of Kin:
As soon as we receive your response, we will get back to you for further instructions on how to activate the domiciliary account for full operation to ensure the transfer of the won funds to your personal account in your country or other destination of your choice.
We are poised to guarantee quality banking services at all times.
Frank Richard Moore,
Online Account Officer
**************
From: John Grant (emw2011@live.co.uk)
Sent: 14 March 2011 20:01:52
To: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
Subject: RE: ACCOUNT REGISTRATIONDear Mr Moore,
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly!
I'm very excited about the winnings, and will happily set up this new account. I bank with barclays so will it be quicker to grab my details from my branch? I bank at the Basingstoke branch, the one on churchill way.
Thanks again,
John
*******************
From: TRANSFER ONLINE (transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc)
Sent: 14 March 2011 20:23:45
To: emw2011@live.co.uk
Subject: Att: J GrantWelcome To Barclays Bank Plc, United Kingdom.
Registered Office:1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP,
United Kingdom.
Direct Tel: {+44}702 401 XXXX
Direct Fax: {+44}709 298 XXXX
Emails: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
Date: 14/03/2011Att: J Grant
It is good to know that you bank with one of our branch. It is very important to note that, you are to keep your winning confidential as this process is been handled by a secured security department and as such you have to keep this process of your funds personal until it has been transfered(sic) to your account. This is to avoid any form of complications or delay.
You are to fill the online form earlier sent to you so that we can commence this process immediately.
Frank Richard Moore,
Online Account Officer
***********
From: John Grant (emw2011@live.co.uk)
Sent: 15 March 2011 08:33:05
To: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
Subject: RE: Att: J GrantDear Mr Moore,
I have filled in the form and send it to the address you provided this morning. I hope it will get to you by the end of the week.
Thanks again,
John
***********
From: Edward Louis (euro-millions16@live.com)
Sent: 16 March 2011 15:04:50
To: emw2011@live.co.uk
Subject: Re: Update From EuroMillions LotteryHello Winner,
I received a mail from Frank Richard Moore: Online Account Officer of Barclays
Bank, saying that your won funds is till at the Bank as unclaimed, you surpose
to have make claims of your winnings 96hours after Notification from the
EurMillions Lottery. Holding of your funds more that unecessary makes the
transfer of your money to your designated account problematic. Ensure you make
claims of your winnings by contacting Frank Richard Moore: Online Account
Officer of Barclays Bank (transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc) with your
necessary account details to commence online transfer immediatly
Make sure you keep the fiduciary (fiduciary102@live.com ) posted with any dealings
your have with the bank for the monitoring of your online transfer.Best Regards
Edward Louis
**********
From: Edward Louis (euro-millions16@live.com)
Sent: 16 March 2011 15:04:50
To: emw2011@live.co.uk
Subject: Re: Update From EuroMillions LotteryDear Mr Louis,
I put the form in the post to Mr Moore yesterday morning. I didn't realise there's a deadline, it should hopefully get to him soon! What's a fiduciary? Do I need to contact him?
Thank you for all your help,
John
**********
No reply to that one, so I sent out another:
From: John Grant (emw2011@live.co.uk)
Sent: 18 March 2011 10:41:46
To: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
Subject: RE: Att: J GrantDear Mr Moore,
I am writing to find out if my information has got through to you yet? It should have arrived in this mornings post.
Thank you,
J Grant
**********
From: TRANSFER ONLINE (transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc)
Sent: 18 March 2011 11:16:20
To: emw2011@live.co.uk
Subject: Att: J Grant / UrgentWelcome To Barclays Bank Plc, United Kingdom.
Registered Office:1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP,
United Kingdom.
Direct Tel: {+44}702 401 XXXX
Direct Fax: {+44}709 298 XXXX
Emails: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
Date: 18/03/2011Att: J Grant
Read carefully, I never told you to send your information via post to us. You are to follow simple instruction (sic) to avoid complications and delay. I want you to understand that this process of your funds transfer is been handled by by (sic) a secured security department hence you are to fill your online registration form and send it to us right now via email to enable us create your online account, for us to lodge your check (sic) into to clear (sic) for onward transfer to you.
Frank Richard Moore,Online Account Officer
************
If I'm to get anywhere I needed to put him on the back-foot so I sent
From: John Grant (emw2011@live.co.uk)
Sent: 18 March 2011 14:57:05
To: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
Subject: RE: Att: J Grant / UrgentMr Moore,
I must say I didn't like the way you spoke to me in your last email. How was I to know that you didn't want the details sent by post? I remember something on TV saving not to give your bank details by email, how do I know that you are safe?
J Grant
*************
From: TRANSFER ONLINE (transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc)
Sent: 18 March 2011 18:11:43
To: emw2011@live.co.uk
Subject: Att: J Grant / Apology / Awaiting DetailsAtt: J Grant
Please accept my apology as i did not mean it that way. Anyway you are to fill the online form earlier sent to you and immediately email it back to enable us commence the creation of your online account.
Frank Richard Moore,
Online Account Officer
**************
I thought it's probably time to bring this to a close, one way or another. So I sent out this email
From: John Grant (emw2011@live.co.uk)
Sent: 19 March 2011 10:04:14
To: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
Subject: RE: Att: J Grant / Apology / Awaiting DetailsDear Mr Moore,
I do not want to give my bank details over email, how do I know it is safe?
I was watching red nose day yesterday and I thought I'd like to give some of my money to charity. Can you transfer some of my winnings to them? The tv said the website is rednoseday.com/donate, if you send them some of my money and send me their reply then that's good enough for me.
I don't mind how much, I just want proof you have access to this money.
Thank you for all your help,
J Grant
I'm not expecting a reply, but you never know!
Update: .....and what do you know:
From: TRANSFER ONLINE (transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc)
Sent: 18 March 2011 18:11:43
To: emw2011@live.co.uk
Subject: Att: J Grant / Apology / InformationWelcome To Barclays Bank Plc, United Kingdom.
Registered Office:1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP,
United Kingdom.
Direct Tel: {+44}702 401 XXXX
Direct Fax: {+44}709 298 XXXX
Emails: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
Date: 19/03/2011Att:J GrantPlease read carefully. This is a secured transfer security department, and our duty is to ensure funds are transfered on severe security to legimate winners like you. I want you to understand that we are not the euro lottery. Your funds was brought to us for safe transfer to you because of our easy, transparent and reputable banking system. I quite understand your worry but you have nothing to be skeptical about as i have been working with the financial institution for more than ten years now, and all through this years our intergrity has never been in doubt.Summarily, all you need do is follow instructions carefully to enable us complete this process of your funds transfer immediately. If you are not confortable sending your account details online, that is not a problem as we only needed it, to verify the account in which you will be transferring your funds into after you must have been given your Access code and account number to effect transfer.Do not worry about sending your account details. Immediately fill your personal information space provided in the form and send it back, as that will enable us commence the creation of your account in your name, where your check will be deposit into to clear for onward transfer.This process has taken a longer time than it should hence, you have to avoid delay so that we can facilitate the transferring of your funds to you.
Frank Richard Moore,
Online Account Officer
By this point it's turned out the emails are coming from Nigeria, so the phone number given (A premium rate one at that) probably doesn't connect to Mr Moore. Working on this fact:
From: John Grant (emw2011@live.co.uk)
Sent: 19 March 2011 10:04:14
To: transfer@barclaybk-ukonline.co.cc
Subject: RE: Att: J Grant / Apology / InformationDear Mr Moore,
I would rather give my details over the phone than over email as I've heard bad things can happen. I tried to phone you on Saturday, but it being the weekend there was no answer. Is there a good time for me to phone you?
Thank you,
J Grant
And with that Mr Moore and his associates stopped replying. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!