The Open Society Institute has recently learned of an email fraud that has apparently misappropriated the trademarked name “Soros Foundations Network” in service of a purported “lottery.” The Soros foundations network and OSI are in no way associated with or responsible for this “lottery” and find it reprehensible that the network's name is being deliberately misused in this fashion.
This “lottery” appears to be a variant of a larger class of “lottery”-related email solicitations. They typically begin with a message claiming that the recipient has “won a lottery.” To collect “winnings,” the recipient is asked to contact a “claims agent,” who then usually requests personal information (credit card and bank account numbers, for example) to "verify" the recipient's identity. Provision of this information enables the fraud’s operators to engage in identity theft.
Example of a Fraudulent Email:
-----Original Message-----
From: Hilda Pine <pinehilda@yahoo.com>
To:
Cc:
Subject: AWARD WINNER
THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF:SFN/04/736207152/UK
ATTN:AWARD WINNER
AWARD NOTIFICATION
We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today, 6TH SEPTEMBER 2004, of winners of the SOROS FOUNDATION NETWORK/INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMS OF UNITED KINGDOM held on 5TH AUGUST 2004. You / your company, attached to ticket number 013-2316-2003-477, with serial number MU25-09 drew the lucky numbers 37-13-34-85-56-42, and consequently won in
category C.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of 500,000.00 Euro (Five hundred thousand Euro) in cash credited to file REF NO.: SFN/04/736207152/UK. This is from total prize money of 7,500,000.00 Euro (Seven million five hundred thousand Euro) shared among the fifteen
international winners in the category C. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 30,000 names from Australia, New Zealand, America, Asia, Europe, Africa, USA and North America as part of our International Promotions Program, which will subsequently be conducted annually.
CONGRATULATIONS! Your fund is now deposited with a Finance and Security House and insured in your name. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program.We hope, with a part of your prize, you will participate in our quarterly high stakes 1.3 billion Euro International lotto.
To begin your claim, please contact your claims officer immediately:
MR. PAUL DUBERRY
CHIEF FINANCIAL DIRECTOR. GREENWOOD FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS
EMAIL:customerservicegwc@mail2uk.com.
For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice. Remember, you must contact your claims officer
not later than two weeks on the receipt of this notification.
After this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed. ALL CORRESPONDENCES TO MR. PAUL DUBERRY BY EMAIL, SHOULD HAVE THIS EMAIL SENT ALONG WITH IT AND ALSO, YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO WHICH THIS EMAIL IS SENT, SHOULD BE CLEARLY AND BOLDLY WRITTEN IN YOUR RESPONSE.
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference number in every one of your correspondences with your officer. And all inquiries should go to him, do not bother to send requests to SOROS FOUNDATION NETWORK. Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform your claims officer as soon as possible.
Congratulations!!! once again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program.
Sincerely,
MRS.HILDA PINE
THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS,
SOROS FOUNDATION NETWORK
N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to immediate disqualification.