As i had some time to spare over the holiday season i figured i might play these con artists.

It all started when i won the lottery:

The Irish Lottery
47 Meadow Vale,
Sligo, Ireland.
Ref: LSUK/2031/8161/05
Batch: R3/A312-59

SUCCESS ALERT:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We are pleased to announce to you the draw of the IRISH LOTTERY PROGRAMME online Sweepstakes International Program held on MONDAY 12th SEPTEMBER 2005.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/05 drew the lucky number: 21 which subsequently won the LOTTO PLUS 1 prize. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of 245,400:00GBP (Two hundred and fortyfive Thousand four Hundred GBP) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/05 of Irish Lottery.

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from the World Wide Web through a computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online.This promotion takes place weekly. Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon. In view of this, your 245,400:00GBP would be released to you by any of our payment offices in Europe(UK).

To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary agent:

McCarthy Brown
Email: claimprize05@yahoo.co.uk
TEL:+44 703194 7961.

That way your Winnings Certificate and all other relevant documents/paperwork can be prepared for you. Note that all prize funds must be claimed not later than One month. After this date all funds will be returned to the LOTTERY TREASURY as unclaimed. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please endeavor to quote your Reference Number( LSUK/2031/8161/05) and Batch Number(R3/A312-59)in every correspondence with your agent.

Furthermore, should there be any change in your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned. Good luck from me and members of staff of the IRISH LOTTERY.

Yours faithfully,

MARY GRAFFIN(MRS).

Online Co-ordinator for IRISH LOTTERY SWEEPSTAKE PROGRAMME

From: PAYMENT OFFICER <claimprize05@yahoo.co.uk>

Dear Winner,

We are in receipt of your claims file, with ref number: LSUK/2031/8161/05.

his is sequel to the winning notification sent to you from this office.

Be informed that we have in our possession instruments of payment for your winning prize.

Please complete the attached form below and revert immediately.

Congratulations!

Yours faithfully,
McCarthy Brown
Payment Officer

From: PAYMENT OFFICER <claimprize05@yahoo.co.uk>

Dear Winner,
Acknowledging your mail. All relevant documents with your cheque has been handed over to the courier company.
You are at liberty to contact them for your documents.

Sky Express Delivery Services.
43 Maple Court
Spring Close
Dagenham
Essex
RM8 1SW
United Kingdom.

skydelivery48@deliveryman.com
+44-70-319-31462.

Treat as priority.
Yours truly,
McCarthy Brown.

From: Sky Express services <skydelivery48@deliveryman.com>

Dear Brown McCarthy,
Goodday to you. This is to inform you that we are in possession of certain documents and a certified check in the amount of 245,400:00GBP from your lotto company in the United Kingdom, which is to be couried to our online payment center and have your total amount released to you.
Your SKY EXPRESS registered number is: 3464353
Description of parcel to be couriered.
An original certificate of weight.....0.35kg
Bank Cheque ..........................0.17kg
Total weight of parcel................0.52kg
Colour of parcel .....................Brown
Lenght of Days .......................48 hours
NAME OF BANK: Barclays Bank London Main Branch - United Kingdom.
FOREX ALLOCATION MANAGER: Mr Wilson Duncan
Please find below our charges:
Courier charges ......................... 155.00 Pounds
Administrative .......................... 100.00 Pounds
Insurance ............................... 115.00 Pounds
TOTAL ................................... 370.00 Pounds
You are to make this payment in the name of our account officer via WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER. Details of our recipient is shown below. Afterwards, a speedy despatch of your package with SKY EXPRESS registered number 3464353 shall be carried out.

Receiver: HATFIELD NICOLE (HATFIED is the Last Name)
Receiver's Address: Dagenham, Essex - United Kingdom.

Please note that on confirmation of the paid charges here in the UK, you will be notified on the delivery time of the parcel to your address. We therefore urge that you reconfirm your current contact address including your telephone number(s) for this purpose (if different from what we have from your lotto company).

We are glad to be of service to you.
John Walters
+44 319 31462
Sky Express Delivery Services.
43 Maple Court, Spring Close
Dagenham, Essex RM8 1SW
United Kingdom.

From: Sky Express services <skydelivery48@deliveryman.com>

Goodday to you. This is to inform you that we are in possession of certain documents and a certified check in the amount of 245,400:00GBP from your lotto company in the United Kingdom, which is to be couried to our online payment center and have your total amount released to you.
Your request to donate your lotto claim to a charity body have been received. But we must state that we are not in any position to advice you thus on how to proceed with such actions. This is so because SKY EXPRESS COURIER SERVICES is simply a courier company and do involve herself in other activities other than courier delivery and cargo services.
Moreso, we do NOT have the legal rights to help you donate your winnings to a charity body. This is against the code of conduct that sets up this company as a courier house. However, due to our standing experience in the courier world of business, winnings are transferrable only after such claims have been received by the prospective winner(s).
You would therefore do yourself the good by taking delivery of your parcel and act as you it may please you.
We look forward to hearing from you in the payment of the courier/insurance charges. We are glad to be of service to you.
John Walters
+44 319 31462
Sky Express Delivery Services.
43 Maple Court, Spring Close Dagenham, Essex RM8 1SW
United Kingdom.

Dear John,
Please note that at the moment i reside in USA but i will make a personal trip to United Kingdom and visit your office in person, make the 330.00 British Pounds Payment owed to your company and collect my cheque of 245,400.00 GBP.
Would you explain your company policy regarding time limits on delivery of packages. By this i mean would you still hold the package until the summer of 2006. ( July or August of next calender year).
Just out of curiousity, if the package was picked up in person by myself then would the courier charge of 155.00 Pounds be waived.
I thank you in the meantime.
Sincerely Graham

From: Sky Express services <skydelivery48@deliveryman.com>

Good day to you. You return email communication and verification have been received by this company.
Please take notice that as a certified courier company, our corporate policy allows a MAXIMUM of 10 working days from the time of "entry" and registration of documents to our online courier department/unit, wherewith such document(s) can be retained. At the expiration of such a time limit, it is required by law that such parcels be returned to the address of the depositor.
However, consequent upon the fact that your parcel in our possession contained a writen check issued by the joint issuing houses for lotteries in the United Kingdom, it is our avowed duty and responsibility to return the check to the Joint Lotto Commission of the United Kingdom after 10 workings days.
That check would thus be tagged "UNCLAIMED" by the JLC in the United Kingdom for payment into the British Government's cuffers. Such is the working conditions handed down this courier house by the joint issuing houses and the JLC of the United Kingdom. We therefore wish to inform you that except our cherges are paid in good time, we shall be compelled to cite the relevant enabling articles on postings and return your parcel to the appropriate authorities. We do not accept any responsibilities in such outstanding consequential delays caused by recipients/beneficiaries.
Kindly note that from inception, our mandate does NOT include hand delivery to recipient(s) outside their domain or region specified in the orginal delivery point address given by the sender(s) of any parcel.
We await your prompt action in the payment of the enabling charges as earlier indicated.
We are glad to be of service to you. Compliments of the Season!
John Walters
+44 319 31462
Sky Express Delivery Services.
43 Maple Court, Spring Close
Dagenham, Essex RM8 1SW
United Kingdom.

To: skydelivery48@deliveryman.com
Sent: December 30, 2005
Subject: Re: Documents Re : 3464353

Dear John,
I fully understand your corporate mandate and legal implications if the mandate was violated. I for one would not want your licence revoked for doing me a favour even if it meant a lot having all that money and make me debt free. I was wondering if your are still holding to that cheque because i was notified over 2 months ago about my winnings and i'm sure your administration staff might not be aware of our ongoing communications and have turned over my winnings to Joint Lotto Commission of the United Kingdom. I would really hate to find out after sending you my hard earned money only to find out that i missed your mandated 10 day waiting period to claim my rightful winning. Could you reconfirm if my claim # 3464353 is still in your possession and i will have the monies wire transferred to you by Monday Jan 2nd or Tuesday Jan 3rd at the latest. Could you confirm if that 10 days is Business Days or Calender Days. If it's business days than i have gained 4 extra days taking into account the week-ends.
I anticipate to hearing from you very soon.
Sincerely Graham
P.S. The last thing we need is to fatten the government coffers.

From: skydelivery48@deliveryman.com
Sent: January 2, 2006
Subject: Re: Documents Re : 3464353 (Acount Coordinates)

Dear Mr. Graham,

Good day and Happy New Year to you.

Your return email communication was received appropriately and we understand your most sincere explanations.

Below, you will find the receiving account details of our account officer as earlier mentioned. HATFIELD NICOLE is the senior account officer/ consultant to this courier company and such payments as courier charges and other miscellaneous charges are made in his name. We are bound by the terms of agreement under which he was attached to our department by the governing board of the establishment.

Please accept this as a confirmation that you are at liberty to effect remitance of the charges to the account details herein provided.

NAME OF BANK: BARCLAYS BANK - UK
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 108-846-42
SORT CODE: 20-80-57
BENEFICIARY: HATFIELD NICOLE
ADDRESS: 19 HARERSHAM HOUSE, ILDERTON ROAD
LONDON SEI 15.

Do ensure that the payment is made as stipulated and remember to inform this office once the transfer is done. The confirmation slip from your bank can be sent to the central fax number: 1-206- 237-5923, which is the fax number for clients/customers outside Europe and the United Kingdom.

We assure you that you will be right on time in meeting the 10 day ultimatum after which the parcel containing your winning check will be delivered to your address in the United States within 48 hours.

We are glad to be of service to you.

John Walters
+44 319 31462

Sky Express Delivery Services.
43 Maple Court, Spring Close
Dagenham, Essex RM8 1SW
United Kingdom

I forward Johns letters to the police and Barclays Bank:

Here's some information which might help nab criminals and fraudsters and England. In this particular case these people or Clients of your Barclays Bank and i'm sure you will pass on this information to the proper authorities. Sincerely Graham

From: Barclays Bank

Thank you for your email. We will not respond to emails sent to this address unless we specifically need to.

We are aware of a number of email scams that are currently operating. We will review the one you have sent us and take appropriate action.

In the meantime please follow our security advice below:

- Do not respond to emails asking for your security details.
- If you receive such an email delete it and do not open any attachments.
- Ensure you are running up to date anti-virus software and a personal firewall on your PC. Barclays customers can purchase discounted anti-virus software from the Barclays website by clicking on the Security tab at the top of the pages within Online Banking. Alternatively you can get a free virus security check of your PC from www.symantec.co.uk
- For further advice on security please click on the Security tab at the top of the pages within Online Banking.

- If you think you may have given away your security details, please contact the Online Banking Helpdesk immediately on 0845 600 2323 (outside the UK dial +44 247 684 2063)*.

*The Online Banking Helpdesk is open 7 days a week, from 7am to 11pm. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor or record phone calls."

Barclays Online Banking Helpdesk

This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the addressee and may also be privileged or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee, or have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately, delete it from your system and do not copy, disclose or otherwise act upon any part of this e-mail or its attachments.. Internet communications are not guaranteed to be secure or virus-free. The Barclays Group does not accept responsibility for any loss arising from unauthorised access to, or interference with, any Internet communications by any third party, or from the transmission of any viruses. Replies to this e-mail may be monitored by the Barclays Group for operational or business reasons.. Any opinion or other information in this e-mail or its attachments that does not relate to the business of the Barclays Group is personal to the sender and is not given or endorsed by the Barclays Group. Barclays Bank PLC.Registered in England and Wales (registered no. 1026167). Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP, United Kingdom. Barclays Bank PLC is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

To: Barclays Bank
Sent: January 3, 2006

I THANK YOU for atleast responding and assurance that your bank will look further into your clients who have accounts in your banking institution. It took me a long time to play to those fraud artists and also managed to get their banking info. It would be a shame to see these people who defraud innocent victims of their hard earned savings, social security & pension. But it would be very unfortunate to see that they use your bank to perpetuate their crime with impunity. I trust you will do the right thing.

Graham

P.S. This just came in as i was writing this note.

Date: Tue, 03 Jan 2006 10:50:09 -0500
Subject: Re: Documents Re : 3464353

Good day to you. This communication is meant to confirm your receipt of our email transmission of yesterday Tuesday 2nd January, 2006.
Please confirm to this office that you have received the account details of our account consultant, Mr. Nicole Hatfield and inform as to whether or not you have effected the remittance of the charges.
We are glad to be of service to you.
John Walters
+44 319 31462
Sky Express Delivery Services.
43 Maple Court, Spring Close Dagenham, Essex RM8 1SW
United Kingdom.

To: skydelivery48@deliveryman.com
Sent: January 3, 2006

Please note that a wire transfer was processed and i got a phone call saying that they don't have a Mr Nicole Hatfield connected with that account. They suggested that it might be Ms Nicole Hatfield or Mrs Nicole Hatfield. Due to the current privacy regulation the bank needs to confirm the recepient name matches that of the account number stated. The Name Title (mr, mrs or ms) is even more important. As your company policy is regulated by the laws of the country, i suppose the banks can be as rigid with their policy while all that run around is costing my rightyfully deserved winnings. Please confirm the correct title and i will need an extra day extension because at this moment the banks are closed in England.
I await your prompt response. Graham

From: skydelivery48@deliveryman.com

Good day to you. We are however surprised at your received email in that the account details Provided does NOT match the Title Name of the recipient as Mr Hatfield Nicole. Please be informed that Nicole Hatfield has been the account Officer (Consultant) with this company a long time now and we therefore find it very difficult to accept the "claims" of the bank where the transfer was made as contained in your email. That is completely out of untrue!
We must state that except you want the parcel turned over to the JLC, you must therefore proceed to MONEY GRAM today and send the funds to:

Name: Mr. NICOLE HATFILED
Address: Spring Close Dagenham, Essex - United Kingdom.

We assure you that the recipient is able to pick up the equivalent here in the United Kingdom by 9.00hrs GMT Thursday 6th January, 2006. This would prevent further delay of time as we cannot afford a day longer than Friday 7th January 2006 for the return of the parcel to the JLC of the United Kingdom.
Kindly note that the telephone number you provided was called yesterday but the call was received by a lady who adviced that you be called on a cell phone. We thus ask that you provide your direct cell phone number to enable us speak with you.
We are glad to be of service to you.
John Walters
+44 319 31462
Sky Express Delivery Services.
43 Maple Court, Spring Close
Dagenham, Essex RM8 1SW
United Kingdom.

To: skydelivery48@deliveryman.com
Sent: January 4, 2006

Dear Mr John Walters,
I am totally at a loss as to why my Bank Manager (City Bank USA) or Your Bank (Barclays bank PLC) would lie. My banker had no reservations when the wire transfer was concluded. The remittance was refused (pending further clarification) by Mr Nicole Hatfield's Bank. Please note that i don't wish my parcel be turned over to the JLC. If i were to choose the MONEY GRAM as payment then it will take 3 business days for the monies to be delivered at Express Post. This means the package will arrive Dagenham next Monday at the very earliest. This means that you will have turned over my package over to the JLC by Friday as stated in your note. This also means i have lost my Winnings to the JLC and the stated fees plus charges to SKY EXPRESS. Please help me figure out how we both can achieve a WIN WIN situation. As for my Girl Friend she's the one who answered that phone and she for some reason doesn't want anything to do with my Winnings and your Company Services. So please be patient because she has a habit of being nasty when she feels like it. As for a cell phone, I am restricted to carry one by strict orders of my heart surgeon. The cell phone plays funny tricks with my pacemaker.
Let me know how to proceed so that we can conclude this transaction and put the last few days exhaustive efforts to rest.

I thank you in the meantime. Sincerly Graham

From: skydelivery48@deliveryman.com
Sent: January 5, 2006
Subject: Re: Documents Re : 3464353

Good day to you.

Your email transmissions of yesterday Wednesday have been received.
We here inform you that a 48 hour extension was given in your favour by the management of SKY EXPRESS DELIVERY SERVICES based on your incessant please to grant same. We are also very poised and waiting patiently to receive confirmation from Barclays Group as to the issues with Hatfield's account details.

A letter to that effect was formally depatched to that office late Wednesday to register our complaints.

However, we dare say you do not seem to understand the working principle of funds transfer via Money Gram. Money Gram does not require postages of parcels for payments to be received. Once paid, a REFERENCE NUMBER shall be given to you by the Money Grant agent/point of payment. You will thus forward the given Reference Number to this office and our recipient confirms the payment at the Local Money Gram Point here in the UK and receives the amount sent by you. Receipt of sent funds is within few minutes from the time of payment by you.

Below, you find the name and contact details of some Money Gram agents/locations near you where you can make the payment today.

1.) AHZ WIRELESS 1273 NORTH AVE BRIDGEPORT, CT 06604 Phone: 2033318666

2.) AJ MULTISERVICES AND TRAVEL LLC 1040 MADISON AVE BRIDGEPORT, CT 06606 Phone: 2033310698

As soon as the payment is made, you are to urgently forward the REFERENCE NUMBER given to you to this office by email communication. A copy of the receipt of payment at Money Gram should be sent to the fax number provided earlier.

We assure you once again of our avowed commitment to mailing your parcel to your stated address within 48 hours from the time of receipt of the said charges.

We are glad to be of service to you.
John Walters
+44 319 31462
Sky Express Delivery Services.
43 Maple Court, Spring Close Dagenham, Essex RM8 1SW
United Kingdom.

From: skydelivery48@deliveryman.com

Good day to you. Consequent upon the non-payment of the named courier and insurance charges, this office thus conclude that you are no more interested in our services in mailing the said check to your address in the United States.
Please note that a written confirmation from you to that effect is being expected to enable us turn over the parcel to the JLC by Monday the 9th day of January, 2006. Should you decide otherwise, you are at liberty to forward the charges via Money Gram as earlier instructed.

We are glad to be of service to you.
John Walters
+44 319 31462
Sky Express Delivery Services.
43 Maple Court, Spring Close
Dagenham, Essex RM8 1SW
United Kingdom.

To: skydelivery48@deliveryman.com
Sent: January 7, 2006

Dear Mr Walters, Mr Nicole Hatfield and all the Staff At Sky Express Services.

I will be indebted to you for all your efforts accorded to me to ensure my check gets to me. However i will never forgive myself if your company loses it's license for not conforming to the legal mandate. I know you gave me a couple of extensions knowing that the check has to be claimed within 10 days and anything beyond that the monies has to be turned over to the JLC. Trust me, i know those folks at the JLC. If they don't get what is rightfully theirs then they will shut down your lucrative business and i for one would not want to have it on my good conscious that you lost your business for a mere sum of 240,000.00 British Pounds.

Please treat this note as my confirmation to remit my parcel over to the JLC as mandated by Law. There is but one(1) final favor i would like to ask you. Please have the JLC acknowledge the receipt of the parcel and pass on my personal details and if they could send me the receipt of the cheque then i would like to claim it in my 2005 Income Tax Deduction. I know that all Government Organizations do that. Now that's not too much to ask for, Is It ?

I still thank you for all your efforts.
Ever Grateful Graham

To: skydelivery48@deliveryman.com
Sent: January 7, 2006

Dear John, I have already responded to your note. Please ensure that you follow-up with your complaint to Barclays Bank. If you care i will follow-up with them regarding your complaint. I have the bank details you provided me so it should be easy to follow up. Please confirm if the information i have is correct.
A/c # 108 - 846 - 42
Sort Code 20 - 80 - 57
Account Holder : Hatfield Nicole.
Barclays Bank - 19 Harersham House Branch on Ilderton Road London.
Once Again Thanks
Graham

To: skydelivery48@deliveryman.com
Sent: January 10, 2006

Dear John,
Please be advised that i took it upon myself to lodge a complaint to Barclays Bank PLC and to the Banking Ombudsman on your behalf. I supplied them all your banking information and i'm sure they will contact you in due course (as per their assurance to look into the matter). Please let me know if you're satisfied with their response.
Sincerely Graham

Graham never heard from them again.

End of story.