I received this email (copied exactly):
I have a new email address!
You can now email me at: officefil53@yahoo.in
- HELLO DEAR , HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON MY DEAR
FRIEND, AS A MATTER OF FACT THERE IS GOOD NEWS
BECAUSE BARRISTER WILLIAM COLE, ARRIVED OUR
OFFICE THREE AGO DAYSASKING ABOUT THE CASHIER
CHEQUE OF (800,000,00) DOLLARS WISH HE DEPOSITED
WITH US TRUST LINK COURIER SERVICE BENIN
REPUBLIC. WE THEN EXPLAIN TO HIM THE SECOND
STANCE THAT SURRENDER THE DELIVERY OF YOUR
CHEQUE WAS THAT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
COMP UP THE OUR DELIVERY FEE OF 475 DOLLARS THAT
IS WHY THE CHEQUE IS STEAL WITH US HERE, H E
SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU AND PAID THE 475 UNITED
STATE DOLLARS ON YOUR BEHALF AND LEFT OUR
OFFICE ACCORDING TO HIM HE WILL TRAVEL BACK TO
CHINA FOR URGENT MASSAGE AND WILL NOT COME
BACK TILL NEXT FOUR MONTHS. SO AT THIS MOMENT
YOU HAVE TO RECONFIRM YOUR FULL INFORMATION
TO THIS OFFICE TO ENABLE US KNOW WEAR TO
DELIVER YOUR CASHIER CHEQUE TO YOU WITHOUT ANY
DELAY, BARRISTER W ILLIAM COLE, HAS PAID FOR THE
DELIVERING CHARGES OF 475 UNITED STATE DOLLARS.
THE ONLY MONEY YOU HAVE TO PAY NOW IS THE
SECURITY-KEEPING FEE, WHICH IS $85 US DOLLARS TO
RECEIVED YOUR PACKAGE, DON'T BE DECEIVED BY
ANYBODY, SO RECONFIRM YOU RECEIVING
INFORMATION IN OTHER FOR YOU RECEIVED YOU ARE
YOUR CHEQUE.FILL THIS BELOW INFORMATION BACK
TO US,1. YOUR FULL NAME;2. YOUR HOME ADDRESS;3.
YOUR CURRENT TELEPHONE NUMBER;WE ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO RECEIVING YOUR RETURN MAIL WITH
YOUR INFORMATION FILLED AS REQUESTED ACTUALLY
YOU ARE THE RIGHTFUL BENEFICIARY OF THE CASHIER
CHEQUE, WITH CODE (2661428) AS IT WAS IN OUR
RECORD, KINDLY FILL THE ABOVE FORM AND GET BACK
TO US ASAP, DON'T BE DECEIVED BY ANYBODY, CALL
ME AS SOON AS YOU REPLY THIS MAIL TO ENABLE ME
ACT FAST THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU.AS WE AWAIT
TO RECEIVE YOUR REPLYONTHISEMAILADDRESS:
(trustlink_courierserc19711@walla.com) MR. STEPHEN.TRUST
LINK COURIER SERVICE.PHONE: +229-9715-0853 THANKS
AND GOD BLESS YOU.YOUR WAITING PAYMENT.
Apart from the all capitals, no name for the salutation or anywhere else and terrible English, the 2 email addresses are different. Also think on how a courier firm would have your email address but not your home address to deliver the package to??
There is no payment waiting for you. $85 sent to them will start the ball rolling for more charges that need paying before release. Also Name, Address and Phone Number, coupled to the bank details on the cheque you send, are enough for the start of an ID theft, where you could end up owing thousands that you don't know about!
Update 28/Dec 2008:
I have received several, slightly different but all with the green, narrow column of text, of these now.
They all start with the "I have a new email address" and all promise me large sums of money for complying with the details in the text (one email even had the subject: COMPLY).
Funny thing is they all have 2 different email addresses quoted!
Needless to say, they are all scams.