Random numbers.

When people die, they don't have even numbers in their bank account. An estate will often be for some real random number, not some even number of millions of dollars.

When countries run lottos, people don't win random amounts; they win even dollar amounts. Someone usually will win $5 million in a lotto, but inherit $1,341,398.44. It's just the nature of estates verses lottos.

Or so I thought. Apparently the United Kingdom not only draws a random number to pick a winner, but according to this spam, they also apparently draw a random number for the amount of the award:

We are pleased to inform you of the final announcement that you are one
of the winners of the UKONLINE PROMO.AWARDS, held on 1st December,
2007. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £516,778.00
POUNDS STERLING.
Please contact Claims agent.
Mr Peter Taylor(CLAIMS AGENT)
Email:gaming7777@hotmail.com
Full Names, Contact address, Date of birth, Marital status, Tel No, Occupation,Nationality, Country.
Yours Truly,
Lucy Baines
online Co-ordinator

UK£516,778?

Total To Date: $48,500,000 and some change.

Double Jackpot! I See Dead People Edition.

Hello Friend,


We wish to notify you that you were listed as a beneficiary to the
total sum of £4,600,000.00 GBP (Four million Six hundred thousand
British Pounds Sterling) in the intent of the deceased (names now
withheld since this is our First letter to you) who died in a car
accident with his wife and the only son the year 2004, ever since no
one has come for his ESTATE, We have done a research on the family
background and find out that there was no written Will to his estate.
We contacted you because you bear the surname (last name) identity and
therefore can present you as the beneficiary to the inheritance since
there is no written will.


Our legal services aim to provide our private clients with a complete
service. We are happy to prepare wills, set-up and administer Trusts,
carry out the administration of estates and prepare an administer
powers of attorney.


All the papers will be processed in your acceptance. In your acceptance
of this deal, we request that you kindly forward to us your letter of
acceptance; your current telephone and fax numbers and a forwarding
address to enable us file necessary documents at our High court probate
division for the release of this sum of money.


Kindly send your respond to this E-mail Address.
(richferg_11@yahoo.com.hk).


Yours faithfully,
Ferguson Richard.

Lots of dead people apparently are in my life, dying without my knowledge and leaving me tons of money. Cool!

And to think, with all the thousands of people who have my last name, they found me, of all people! Hell, where I grew up there were at least three people at the same bank where I banked who had the same first and last name as I do--my father, myself, and some other guy who we didn't know.

Shazzam!

Total To Date: $47,440,000

Jackpot! Someone's Died!

Dearest One,

It is my pleasure to write you but first I will introduce myself to you. I am a tall slim fair girl and also a student in university before I lost my parents in a car accident early this year so I have been out from school and been looking for a sincere man that I will trust and love.

I am the only child of my late dead parents and that has made me ran away from my house because my uncles are after my life to take away my inheritance which my late father left for me in a security company here in Accra Ghana . My entire dream is to find sombody that I can trust with my life and inheritance and also able to invest it wise in lucrative business.

Nobody knows about the inheritance which worth $5.5 million dollars in Cash put on a trunk box and deposited it in a security company here called Segal Security Company as a family treasure under maximum confidential so that nobody will know about the content which is cash. And I want you to also keep it very confidential till we can be able to claim out the box from the security company so that I will fly to join you immediately for future plans.

I have to trust somebody to save my future and that is why I am trusting you now I want you to understand my critical situation and give me the love and assistance that I need now so that I will have a better life and also enjoy my inheritance with you. I will tell you more about myself as soon as I hear back from you and also build more trust to be able to have a better understanding.

I look forward to hear from you soonest.
Love..Rose

Honestly, when I first skimmed it, the whole "I am a tall slim fair girl and also a student" made me skip it as a porn ad and not a 419 scam--but there is money involved. Nothing gets my attention like tits and cash.

I'm pathetic...

Total To Date: $37,975,000

With a name like that...

Of course someone's more trustworthy if their first name is "Blessing", right?

Compliment,

How are you doing? Hope you have not forgotten me, I am Miss Blessing Paul, the Lady from Benin who contacted you some time ago to assist me secure the release of my inheritance from my late father. Though you were not able to assist me conclude the transaction, I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds transferred under the assistance and cooperation of a new partner from Brazil.

Presently I,m in London-United Kingdom for investment projects with my share of the total sum. meanwhile, I didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in transferring those funds, I made sure you are not left out the benefit of the transaction hence I kept aside for you sum of 1,200.000.00(ONE MILLION TWO THOUSAND US DOLLARS) Draft. I and my new partner agreed to compensate you with that amount for all your past efforts and attempt to assist me in this matter.

I appreciated your efforts at that time very much, so feel free and get in touch with my Lawyer Barrister Usman Kabiru and instruct him on how to send the Bank draft to you, Please do let me know immediately you receive the Draft so that we can share the joy together after all the sufferings at that time. In the moment, I, m very busy here because of the investment projects and my education which me and my partner are having at hand, finally, remember that I had left instruction to my Lawyer so as soon as you contact him, he will send the Draft to you, so feel free to get in touch with MY LAWYER NOW.Below is the contact of my Lawyer:

BARRISTER USMAN KABIRU .
Phone: +229 93073420
E-mail: ukabiruchambers@yahoo.co.uk

With Best Regards,
Miss. Blessing Paul

Everyone thinks I've helped them in the past. Everyone.

I'm telling you I haven't done a damned thing!

Total To Date: $32,475,000

Think of the poor people! (Take their money.)

This one is unique: rather than a lottery, help transferring some money for some unspecified reason, or an inheritance, this one claims I won a grant from Shell Oil to "alleviate poverty across the globe." I guess the poverty that this is supposed to alleviate is, well, mine...:

NOTICE OF GRANT AWARD

The Shell Petroleum Foundation United Kingdom is glad
to notify you that you have been chosen by the board of trustees and
after series of secret deliberations selected you as one of the final
recipients of a cash Grant/Donation for your own personal, alleviate
poverty across the globe, and business development. The Shell Petroleum
Foundation United Kingdom, it was established in the year 2000 by the Shell
Multi-Million Groups and is now supported by the Yahoo
Incorporation,Microsoft Corporation and Emirates Airlines. To celebrate the
7th
anniversary program, the Shell Petroleum Foundation United Kingdom in
conjunction with other relevant bodies is giving out a yearly donation
of £4,500,000 GB Pounds (Four Million,Five Hundred Pounds Starlings) to
10 lucky recipients.

...

Kindly note that you will only be chosen to receive the donation
once, which means that subsequent yearly donation will not
get to you again. Take time and thought in spending the donation
wisely on a project that will stand the test of time.You were selected
among thelucky recipients to receive the award sum of £450,000.00 GB
Pounds (Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds Starlings) as charity
donations/Grant
from the Shell Petroleum Foundation United Kingdom in accordance with
the enabling act of Parliament. You will be required to fill the form below
and email it to ourFinance Officer below for documentation and processing
of the remittance of yourgrant.

The stupid thing about this "grant", of course, is that even though I'm only one of ten lucky people who have been selected as deserving of this grant, they still want my name, address, occupation, gender, phone number, and presumably as we move forward social security number and a deposit of some kind to help transfer the money to my bank account.

You'd think if I was one of ten selected in a given year from a 4.5 million pound sterling grant, they'd spend an extra 10 minutes to remember my contact information...

Total To Date: $31,275,000

I'm busy so you better send him your information.

Dear Friend,

It is my pleasure to let you know about my success in getting those fund
transffered under the cooperation of a new partner from Spain. I didn't
forget your past efforts to assit me in transffering those funds.

Now contact my secretary Mr Peter Rapheal his email is (peter_rapheal21@excite.com)
ask him to send you the total $3.2M certified bank draft which i raised
for your compensation .so feel free and get intouched with him and give
him your address where to send the draft.

Therefore, you should send him your full Name and telephone number/your
address where you want him to send the draft to you. Thanks and God bless
you and your family, Hope to hear from you soon.

Let me know immediately you receive it for us to share the joy.i'm very
busy here with investment projects which i am having at hand, finally,i
left instruction to the secretary on your behalf,so feel free to get intouch
with him.

Best regards,
Dr Mark Joel

At least we have a little more imagination here about why I should divulge personal information when my "old friend" who I've worked with in the past should have it on file: it's because he's so damned busy with other scams deals, he doesn't have time to deal with me.

Total To Date: $30,350,000.

For the Love of God, Proof Read Your Spam!

I've noticed that many Spam messages promising all sorts of riches if only suffer from horrible grammar, incorrectly spelled words and incorrectly capitalized sentences--which strikes me as odd, given how much technical sophistication goes into sending these messages out. Case in point:

Dearest Friend,
This is to inform you about my success in getting the money moved under the cooperation of a new partner from paraguay. Now contact my secretary,bank the name of the bank is CONTINENTAL TRUST BANK and this is the Director name Dr Mohammed alifat,

and the bank email address; transferdept555@gmail.com
and the bank email address; transferdept777@gmail.com
telephone nomber; 00229 979 12 195
telephone fax; .+229-9758-7662

tell them that you send by mr johnson peter, to send you $800.000.00 usd which i kept for your compensation for all the past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter. I have forwarded instruction to the bank to send the money to you, as soon as you contact them so feel free to get in touch with them to send the money to you without any delay. Also, iam advising you to contact them with your informations such as:

*sigh*

Total To Date: $26,850,000.