In an actual email received from a scammer, an organization in a foreign country generously offers to give the email recipient a sum of cash to fund the person’s business, educational and personal development. What the email doesn’t say is that when recipients respond, they’re likely to lose money, not receive it.
Here is the email in its entirety:
“July 6, 2015
To Whom It May Concern.
This is to inform you that you have emerge as one of the selected persons to receive the donation fund for individuals, business, educational and personal development and self empowerment aid from the Qatar Foundation, held in Doha, Qatar. Please contact the person of Dr. Abdullah Bin Nasser for more information on how to receive your fund.
Dr. Abdullah Bin Nasser
Email: (name@email account)
On behalf of the Qatar Foundation, we say congratulations to you.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Naseeha Sajjad.”
No organization is going to randomly select an email recipient to receive free cash with no strings attached. Leave no doubt in your mind that this is a scam and it will cost you money if you respond.
The best way to handle this type of email is to delete it. The sender of this email has no way of knowing if someone actually reads it, but if you respond, they’ll know they’ve reached a live person. Unless you want to place your name on a “please contact me” list, resist the urge to reply, even if it’s to tell the sender to go pound sand.