Phishing E-Mail Fraudulently Utilizes Soft-Drink Company Coca-Cola’s Brand Name

A new fraudulent phishing e-mail forwarded to Western Washington, Oregon and Alaska serving BBB exploits the brand name as well as logo of Coca-Cola for making recipients believe that they're winners of an offshore lottery prize, states BBB.org dated March 30, 2011.

Using the caption, "The Coca-Cola Company Official Prize Notification," the scam electronic mail begins by congratulating the consumer (recipient). Spamer-spamemail.blogspot.com reported this on March 25, 2011.

States the text of the e-mail that Coca-Cola is happy to declare the outcome emanating from the recently finished yearly final lottery that Coca-Cola Bottling Company and the British American Tobacco Worldwide Promotion together conducted on March 20, 2011. Accordingly, the reader (of the e-mail) is one of the ten fortunate winners to get the prize-money of 1,000,000 pounds on The Coca-Cola Company Promotion, the message adds. Spamer-spamemail.blogspot.com reported this.

Now, if recipients of the e-mail respond in belief that the e-mail is actually from Coca-Cola, they get the scammers' instruction about making their claim via writing an e-mail and telephoning the accredited attorney and fiduciary agent of the scammers in South Africa. For this, they must keep their name, telephone number, address, occupation details as well as other information at hand for declaration, the e-mail states. Columbian.com reported this dated March 2011.

Say security researchers that the fake electronic mail having the logo of Coca-Cola is simply an e-mail scam. States Oregon publication manager Kyle Kavas of BBB, the e-mail poses as a message from Coca-Cola while attempts at acquiring recipients' faith. Columbian.com reported this.

Cautioning everyone, BBB states that the e-mail typically attempts at acquiring end-users' faith prior to endangering them in either of the following methods. One, in which a request is made to the so-called winner for his bank account details so that the deposit can be directly made alternatively his SSN to facilitate identity confirmation.

The other, wherein an instruction to the "winner" tells him to send money alternatively portion of the prize-money to meet fees/taxes. But, if the user wires the sum, it simply goes to the scammers, while he not only loses the wired money but also gains no prize-money. BBB.org published this.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 4/11/2011