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May 12, 2009

Advance-fee lottery scams have taken several guises over the years, but one I saw today was new to me. It is so preposterous that recipients might just believe it.

Here's the full text — long, but somewhat entertaining:

Twofour
6-7 St Cross St
London
EC1N 8UA


Date: 13th May 2009

NOTIFICATION FOR CASH AID

Dear Sir / Madam,

This is to notify you that you have been chosen By the Board of trustees of the Quaker Oats Aid Institution based in the England, as one of the final recipients of a Cash Aid/Donation for your own personal, education and business development, Quaker Oats Company as established 1850, and Quaker Oats Aid Institution was developed in 1980 by the Multi-Million groups, which was conceived with the objective of Human Growth, Educational and Community development. In line with the 73 years anniversary of this program the Quaker Oats Institution in conjunction with the United Nations (UN) and the European union (EU ), is giving out a yearly donation of Five Hundred Million Great Britain Pounds, as specific Donations/Grants to 150 international recipients worldwide in different categories for their personal Business development and uplift of their environment.

These funds are freely given to you to use for your business educational and personal development, and at least 30% to be used by you to develop a part of your environment, as this is a yearly program, which is a measure of universal development strategy, and eradication of poverty.

Please kindly note that you are not the only beneficiary in your country this year, and your country is not the only country that is benefiting from this donation, as beneficiaries have been chosen from countries from all continents. The idea of this donation is that within ten years from now, there will be notable richness among many unusual people around the world.

This will give many people the opportunity to get their lives to a stage where they had always wanted. 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, so its your chance to spend the donation wisely on something that will last you a long time. And please do not bother following up this email, if you have benefited from this donation in previous years.

Based on the random selection exercise of Internet websites, Internet ip address and millions of Super market cash invoices worldwide, you were selected among the recipients to receive the donation sum of Ј1,671,000.00 (One Million Six hundred and seventy one thousand Great Britain Pounds) as cash aid donations from the Quaker Oats Aid Institution, (UN) and the (EU) in accordance with the enabling act of Parliament.

Kindly be aware that the Quaker Oats Aid Institution Board of trustees do not know you in person or your curriculum Vitae (C.V), you are therefore required to send your C.V along with your Facial means of Identification on your contact with the Secretary for documentation and processing of your payment.

Curriculum Vitae (C.V) should contain as follows.

Full Names:
All Contact Address:
Phone number(s):
Fax Number(s):
Occupation:
Company Name:
Marriage status:
Religion:
Next of kin:
Date of birth:
Nationality:
State/Province:
Country:

Facial means of Identification, should contain one of this options, Drivers License or International Passport.

You are required to expeditiously Contact the Executive Secretary below for documentation and processing of your Cash Aid, between the hours of 8.00am - 7.30pm on Monday to Friday.

Executive Secretary- Dr. Devon Nolan

PHONE:+4470111[removed]
FAX:+4487166[removed],+4470058[removed]

Email: [removed]@live.com

Note: On your contact with the Executive Secretary with your curriculum Vitae (C.V) and Facial means of Identification , you are to request from him, his facial means of Identification on your own part, to verify that you are dealing with the Executive Secretary as advised.

Please endeavor to quote your Quaker Oats qualification code (QO4429) in all discussions. Please note that this Cash Aid payment are strictly administered by (QOI) Quaker Oats Aid Organization or (EU) European Union under delegated powers from the (UN) United Nations.

You are by all means hereby advised to keep this whole information confidential until you have been able to collect your donation, as there have been many cases of double and unqualified redemption, due to beneficiaries informing third parties about his/her donation.

*Finally, all funds should be redeemed by their respective beneficiaries, not later than One month after notification, failure to do so, implies that the beneficiary is a ghost, with this, cash aid will be cancelled and reserved for next 2010 edition.

On behalf of the Q.O.I Board of trustees, kindly accept our warmest congratulations

Yours faithfully,
Rev Andrew Walcott
G. Manager/ Notification Department

An interesting twist on this first request for information is a demand for a copy of a photo ID. From this, identity thieves can really go to town, even if you don't succumb to demands for fees, taxes, bribes, and other upfront costs you must bear before you (don't) receive your award.

I suppose that the scammers believe the Quaker Oats brand is so warm and fuzzy that recipients will automatically think this award is legitimate. They'll overlook the fact that after so much Quaker Oats branding, the contact email address is through a free email service. Yah! Falling for this scam will empty your bank account more thoroughly than Quaker Oats cleanses your colon.