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May 20, 2012

Now that Facebook stock has gone public, the company is truly visible in the Big Bucks category. What better way to celebrate than have advance fee criminals (419ers) invoke Facebook's name in their lottery scams? You know, the kinds of things for which we've seen Microsoft's name abused for years. Move over, Microsoft, Facebook is King! Or maybe Nigerian Prince.

Of course, the message gets off to a rocky start if the recipient is wary enough:

Subject: RE: CONGRATULATIONS FROM FACE BOOK!

Note the space in the name. This error is repeated, but not uniformly, throughout the message.

The copying and pasting from previous Microsoft lottery scam messages was also error-prone. Yet the scammer did his or her best to put a Facebook, or rather Face book, spin on the alleged reasoning behind the munificence:

The online draws was Conducted by a random selection of email you where picked by an Advanced automated random computer search from the Face book in other To claim your $600.000.00USD the lottery program which is a new innovation by Face book, is aimed atsaying A BIG THANK YOU to all our users for making Face book their number one means to connect, communicate,relate and hook up with their families and friends over the years.

The ATM card, we're told, will be shipped for the discounted fee of $220.99 (a $100 savings because they arranged a "bulk shipping" contract). Such a deal!

Finally, I wouldn't want to be the Facebook telephone operator on Monday morning. The letter was signed:

Mrs. Sandra Jones.
Lottery Result Announcer
FaceBook Inc. Group

I think the kids at Facebook should set up a cubicle for that job position—even if it remains empty.