I thought this was a new one, but Snopes says no. I just got this from the "Lottery Winners International". It includes, among other things:
ATTN: SIR/MADAM
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners
International programs held on the 8TH JANUARY 2007.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your winning information confidential until your claims has been processed and your money Remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over 40,000 company and 20,000,000 individual email addresses and names from all over the world. This promotional program takes place every year. This lottery was promoted and sponsored by
Association of software producers. we hope with part of your
winning,you will take part in our next year 20 million Euros
international lottery. Snopes has a couple from 2002, parts of which are just the same as mine. Here's some of what Snopes says about it:
Those who try to collect their "winnings" soon find themselves on the receiving end of e-mails informing them that they have to fork over facilitation fees before the big payouts will come to them. 
Snopes says it is similar to the Nigerian scam, but this time they're saying they're from the Netherlands (sorry, Branny).
you know, Jackie, I wouldn't even open an email with that subject.
Jackie, Jackie, I just passed by by accident... You don't know all the things we learn from the Nigerians! Anyway, this wasn't me, anything's got to do with numbers and left out characters is wasted on my intelligence. I couldn't if I should it.
I HAVE WON numerous contests, lotteries and drawings in which I have never participated!
I must be the luckiest guy on earth!
You also must wonder how anyone who does so poorly at spelling could manage large sums of money.
In a similar vein, I have completely lost faith in all US banks.
They continually send me email notices that a computer failure has caused them to lose my personal information. Furthermore, my account is at risk of being cancelled if I cannot provide them these details.
How can I trust a bank to manage my money if they can't remember my password is "123"?
This includes banks with whom I have never held accounts!! It must be an epidemic!!
AAARRRGGGHHHH !!!!
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I thought this was a new one, but Snopes says no. I just got this from the "Lottery Winners International". It includes, among other things:
ATTN: SIR/MADAM
They know you so well, from your submission/entry, that this is addressed to SIR/MADAM ?
I often get phone calls from "The Phone Company" or "Your Mortgage Company" and my first question is, "What is my customer number?"
After a short silence, the caller is always stunned by that simple question, they admit that this is a solicitation.
I wouldn't even open an email with that subject.
Oh, I didn't! I did the right-click, details, message source trick that Juanmaria taught me. I wonder how he's doing?
right-click, details, message source trick
Please share.
Read The Contents Of An E-mail Without Opening It
This may sound like something impossible. But you can. Ever wanted to see what's inside a strange looking e-mail that came from an unknown source, but you did not want to take the risk of opening it? Well there is a way. View the message source instead. The message source will give you a text-view of the e-mail where no scripts can be executed so it is completely safe. It may be hard to read if the e-mail is formatted with HTML, but this will not be a problem for people with HTML knowledge.
The first part of the message source will look like Greek to most people. This is the e-mail header. Scroll down until you find some text that actually makes sense. This should be the body of the e-mail and if the text is unformatted you will be able to read the contents without any problem. If you can only see millions of special characters and scrambled text, you may be viewing an e-mail that is made up by only one image. There is no way of viewing the image without opening it, but we strongly suggest you delete e-mails like this if you don't know where they come from.
An e-mail from an unknown source, with an attachment is most of the times an e-mail with a virus. But you can look at the name and extension of the file by looking for the term "attachment" in the message source. Mozilla Thunderbird makes it possible to do a text search in the message source, but you will have to look for this part of the e-mail with the naked eye if you use Outlook Express.
To view the message source in Outlook Express, follow these steps:
* Right click on the message and select "Properties".
* Click on the "Details" tab and then on "Message Source"
For Mozilla Thunderbird users, simply select the message you want to view and press Ctrl+U. Don't assume that the Print Preview of Thunderbird is a safe alternative. Some scripts can be executed under Print Preview.
-cybertopcops.com
To view the message source in Outlook Express, follow these steps:
* Right click on the message and select "Properties".
* Click on the "Details" tab and then on "Message Source
Thanks Tsuwm, though I hardly ever get spam this is nice to know.
I have received some from banks I've never had accounts at but more worrisome are the ones from ebay and paypal. I've never had accounts with them and it makes me wonder if someone is using my e-mail address.
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I have received some from banks I've never had accounts at but more worrisome are the ones from ebay and paypal. I've never had accounts with them and it makes me wonder if someone is using my e-mail address.
They're just phishing. Either they get your email address from bots that run around the net looking for email addresses or they just generate random addresses and if you open the email and they have some kind of html in there they track you down that way. More than likely ebay and paypal have nothing to do with it. They're just spoofing the ebay or paypal email address.
So far I haven't found any email client that lets me use tsuwm's trick.
>So far I haven't found any email client that lets me use tsuwm's trick.
I think I specified methods for Outlook Express and Mozilla Thunderbird (not that I'd even heard of the latter before).
It works perfectly well, Tsuwm. I tried it out on a forward in Outlook and got the information :source unknown. It may have been innocent but I was 't interested in the subject anyway and threw it away. Thanks.
FWIW, Mozilla Thunderbird
blocks inline HTML images when click on and look at an email, unless you specifically allow it to show them to you.
Since one help has already been offered, may I ask for some? Since I got my new computer with Windows XP, most of my e-mails show in my In-box as having attachments even when they don't (such as ones I've sent myself, for ex.). My computer guy says he doesn't know why. Does anyone here, and is there something I can do to get rid of these false signs?
Not sure it applies, Jackie, but do you use "stationery" or background of some kind for your e-mail? I've noticed on some incoming messages that that shows up as an attachment.
I've had that in the past, Nancy--it seemed to occur when the receiving computer couldn't "read" it; it would be an actual attachment: a tiny little picture of the stationery. What's happening now is that a message in my in-box will have the little paper clip beside it, but there is no attachment. And it slows me down, because I'm afraid to simply open the message and read it. Thanks, though!
>right-clicking e-mails
Hm. It works on a Mac too. Only instead of right-click, you ctrl-click.
Now I never need to face the agonising struggle between naive curiosity and fear of viruses when I receive e-mails that begin: "You have won!"
(Am I the only Mac user on AWADtalk?)
>(Am I the only Mac user on AWADtalk?)
nope!
It works on a Mac too. Only instead of right-click, you ctrl-click.
I have a three button mouse on my Mac laptop. It worked out of the box.
(Am I the only Mac user on AWADtalk?)
No, I believe eta uses a Mac. I used Windows, Mac, and Unix, so I occasionally visit this site using browsers under all three of those OSes.