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London Olympics 2012: Prime time for spammers

28
Jul
2012

Zscaler – Spammers love major events as they present an opportunity to social engineer victims with content that they’re likely to be interested in. The Olympics represent a golden opportunity for spammers – the world’s largest sporting event, that will draw a global audience for the next two weeks. As such, we expect to see a plethora of Olympic related scams, which are already beginning to emerge.
Below is an example of an email message that has been circulating that is essentially an Olympic themed version of the ever-popular Nigerian 419 email scam.

From: LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS LOTTERY PROMOTION [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 15 July 2011 01:09 PM
To: undisclosed recipients:
Subject: CONGRATULATION!

PLEASE OPEN THE ATTACHED FILE

LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS LOTTERY PROMOTION!

The London 2012 Olympics lottery is proud to inform you that you have won ?1,950,000.00 GBP (One Million Nine Hundred and Fifty Great Britain Pounds) why you have won? Your e-mail address is one of 15 lucky addresses who have won in the monthly promotion.

We wish to congratulate you on your victory; winners shall be paid in accordance with his/her settlement center. Stated below are your identification numbers:
Batch number: 18/006/1094/lipda/sl,
Reference number: lli/240142/011,
Pin: 2012, file number: flie//5612/1364.
Security code: olylon2012,

FILL THE DETAILS REQUESTED:

1. YOUR FULL NAME………………
2. YOUR COUNTRY NAME…………..
3. MOBILE NUMBER…………….
4. OCCUPATION………………
5. FAX NUMBER………………
6. PASSPORT COPY OR ID………….
7. BATCH NUMBE………………
8. REFERENCE NUMBER…………..
9. PIN NUMBER……………….
10. FILE NUMBER……………….
11. SECURITY CODE……………..
12. DATE OF BITH……………… .

The London 2012 Olympics lottery team, whereby all winners are selected computer ballot draws or server, this email draw or server visits all internet providers and email address around the globe, be it COM, ORG, NET, AOL and all country based web abbreviations, as you have .CA in Canada and .UK in United Kingdom and AOL in USA .ZA in South Africa and India .IN

Remember, you must contact your claim agent Mr. Richards Lord by email or through his office telephone number to make your claim of this great winning prize known to him, with the above requested information.

CONTACT YOUR CLAIM AGENT IN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.
MR. RICHARDS LORD
TELEPHONE PHONE: +44 703 174 9631
EMAIL: [email protected]

You have to note that the London 2012 Olympics Lottery is creating awareness of the Olympics sprit around the world, which is to be host in United Kingdom.

Online Lottery’s Operator, works in collaboration with the London 2012 Olympics Board to ensure that the most effective service is offered to the Lottery winners – within the responsible gaming framework at all times.

MRS. LINDA ROSE.
PROMOTION MANAGER.
LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS LOTTERY AWARD.
COUNTRY: UNITED KINGDOM.

Sample-1

The message is a perfect example of a 419 scam. It asks for personal information and informs you that you’re the recipient of a tremendous financial prize. Below is yet another example.

From: LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS PROMOTION [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 01 March 2012 11:49 PM
To: undisclosed recipients:
Subject: 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS E-MAILSSELECT PROMOTION

Head Office London 2012 One Churchill Place Canary Wharf London E14 5LN
LONDON OLYMPICS EVENT AWARENESS AND PROMOTION COMPANY.
2012 London Olympics lottery draw notice  This is to inform you that London Olympics event awareness and promotion companyand London 2012 summer Olympics Organizing Committee (LSOOC) here in London (U.K), has held an Internet Raffle Draw among all internet e-mail users, and your e-mail address was among the 10,000,000.00 (Ten million) e-mail addresses that was picked by the computer during the Second Quarter Raffle Draw (SQRD).
We are therefore with great pleasure, to notify you that your e-mail address once again, happened to come out top number (1) out of the 10,000,000.00.(Ten million) e-mail addresses on the final ballot draw.

 Please note that this has made you the jackpot winner of the sum of GBP? 1,000,000.00 (One Million British Pounds) and free entrance tickets to watch the games live in London. 

Be aware that this Internet Raffle Draw (IRD) was organized by  London Olympics event awareness and promotion company.and London 2012 summer Olympics Organizing Committee (LSOOC), to create awareness to the world, as England is finalizing their preparation for the hosting of the 2012 summer Olympics.
BELOW ARE YOUR WINNING DETAILS: COMPUTER DRAW NUMBER: 177 EMAIL CODE NUMBER: TTYEEWSSE2211775643000 FINAL JACKPOT NUMBER: 0001
SN: 2012 / LSOOC / LOC / UK 
WINNING INSURANCE POLICY NUMBER: JJA23UK WINNING FUNDS INSURANCE COMPANY: NFU MUTUAL LONDON REFERENCE NUMBER: EAASL/941OY1/04 BATCH NUMBER: 12/27/Du34 WINNING NUMBER: 3
Note that this program is being sponsored by below listed U.K companies: 1. Vodafone company U.K Limited
2.Fenchurch communications U.K Limited
3.Business mobile U.K Limited
 Mr. Kuash Behler, Our First Quarter Winner of GBP? 2,500,000.00 from Amsterdam, Holland.
Our Second Quarter Winner Mrs. Ali Fatima from Nepal receiving her winning cheque of GBP?1,000,000.00 also on the picture is her husband and friends rejoicing \With them.
 Congratulations from all our staff, we also extend our thanks to the Sponsors for being part of our awareness and promotional program.
PRIZE CLAIMING INSTRUCTION:
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT YOU ARE AMONG THE 7 WINNERS OF THE SUM OF GBP? 7, 000, 000, 00 (SEVEN MILLION British Pounds) EACH ENTITLED TO RECEIVE GBP? 1,000,000.00 (ONE MILLION British Pounds)
Your Fund is now deposited with our correspondent Paying Bank (BARCLAY’S BANK, LONDON) insured in your name for security reasons, you are advised to please keep your winning details very confidential from the members of the public to avoid double claim as your winning/payment will be cancelled should Two (2) claims be submitted under the above specified winning details.

Please note that claiming agents has been appointed in strategic areas around the world to help and ensure an easy and immediate claim to all our lucky winner’s. We have checked your location and your claiming falls under group B.

You are to call and forward you’re winning details to our appointed and accredited Agent    (MR. M. ROBERT NULL)  
Office   Mail:  [email protected]
Cell: Tel: + 44-7031741865    Fax: +447014237785   to enable him clear your file for immediate payment. Visit:    http://www.london2012.com    for more details.

You can also confirm your winning by directly calling/contacting our head office here in London on the bellow Details:

Signed By Dr. V. Beavis                                 Copyright C 1996-2012                      
[Award Board Director]                                       The U.K National Lottery Inc.
Head Office U.K                             All rights reserved. Terms of Service – Guideline E MAIL :  [email protected]                                           100860 8556 2548 9576UK
Sample-2

These scams have become so common that they official Olympic website is actually maintaining a list of those which have been identified in order to warn the general public. Here is a list of the email spam/scam variations related to London Olympics 2012:
. 2012 Games Entertainments Co-ordinator
. 2012 Olympic Draws
. 2012 Olympic Promo
. 2012 Olympic Promotion Board United Kingdom – South Africa
. 2012 Olympics, A Lottery For The Future
. 2012 Summer Olympic Lottery
. 2012 Summer Olympic/Paralympic Games
. Australian Lottery (in affiliation with the London 2012 Olympics Committee)
. AUTHORISATION NOTE: P&G WORLDWIDE PARTNER / London 2012 Olympic Games
. BBC Olympic Prize
. Big Big London 2012 Olympic Lottery
. BT & London 2012 Olympics Promotions Team
. CocaCola Company and London 2012 Official Award Notification
. Coca Cola London 2012 Olympic Games Promotions
. Deloitte/London 2012 Olympic Games Promotional Draw
. Ford Olympic 2012 Promo
. Future 2012 Olympics – Congratulations!
Grosvenor/London 2012 Olympic Games Promotional Draw
. London 2012 Draw Results
. London 2012 Employment
. London 2012/ FIFA International Online Lottery
. London 2012 grant award
. London 2012/Microsoft 2011
. London 2012 press release
. London 2012 Olympic Games Raffle Award
. London 2012 Olympics/Microsoft Sweepstake
. LONDON 2012: Ticket Number: LND0026
. Olympic 2012 Awareness Lotto
. Olympic Torch
. P & G Olympic Promotion


It is advisable that if a message contains any of the above mentioned text, such messages should be dropped. Today, many antivirus solutions and email gateways provide aggressive spam filters but messages can always slip through, so individuals should be wary of any message requesting personal information, regardless of the source.

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