Advance Fee Fraud: European Farmer help loan scam

Here's a variation on the "lottery scam" I haven't seen before: you qualify for government assistance on the basis of a lottery draw. Of course, this is also the perfect setup for, "yes, we have lots of money for you, but we need you to pay us to do a bunch of paperwork first". Easy money like this is always bait on a hook.

Another point is that the 419ers in general have started using Yahoo!'s "notify everyone in my address book of my new Yahoo! address" feature. Presumably there is a convenient mechanism whereby they can import their spam list as an address book, then spam the lot in one shot with the notification feature, then abandon the account before it gets nuked for spamming (note that the contact address provided in the body of the email is different from the "my new address" address). As a side effect, Yahoo's "anti-spam" system "domain keys" is used to sign the message, certifying its origins in the Yahoo! network. How helpful! It just goes to prove what a difference there is between anti-spam and anti-address-forgery.

Spam text follows for reference (converted to plain text).

From: lashi hamed <lashi_hamed@yahoo.ca>
Date: 05-Jun-2006 10:56
Subject: ON LINE LOAN NOTICEFICATION
To: ideceive@gmail.com

I have a new email address!
You can now email me at: lashi_hamed@yahoo.ca

European Farmer help loan sceme,
Brookmount House,
62-65 Chandos Place,
Covent Garden,
London, WC2N 4LP
(Customer Services)
Date: june 4 2006
LOAN NOTIFICATION:

Ref: UKL/04210X2/65
Batch: 0741/060/DK369


Dear Farmer

We officially announce to you the European farmer assistant sceme
(#604) of the europe farmers assistant loan programs to erradicate
farmine in the world, in year 2010.

International program held on the 25th of May 2006.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:56475600545 188 with
Serialnumber 5368/02 drew your attention to our programe in order to
extend our service to africa and other 3rd world contries in other to
provide enough food 4 d vision 201o;.
,we have agree to give loan of minimum of $3 million us dollars to any
interested farmers who wish to esterblish on lerge scale farm .
You have therefore been approved to contact our office in uk for more detail

The internet emailing idea was used, since most people are not able to
apply outside the europe. We hope with part of your application you
will take part in our subsequent loan proget

This is from a total loan award of $100,000,000 shared among the less
privilenge fermers  in the 3rd world countries .

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from
World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from
over 100,000unions,associations,and corporate bodies that are listed
online. This promotion takes place annualy.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European
booklet representative office in London as indicated in your country.

In  view of this, your loan
would be released to you by any of our payment offices in
Europe.

Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate
the release of your funds as soon as you contact him.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your  information
confidential in order to block way s for d scamers.

This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid scamers and
unwarranted abuse of this program.

Please be warned.To file for your application, please contact our  agent:

Overseas agents Unit.
europe Farmer help loan,
Mr John Peters
Email: johnpeter_3rd@yahoo.com
TEL: +44 702 406 3377
TEL: +44 702 407 5115

Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the
approval of your loan as soon as you contact him. You may wish to establish
contact via e-mail with the particulars presented above citing the batch
and reference numbers to this letter.

Yours faithfully,
Mr James Sylvester

 Online Co-ordinator

application processing form
FULL NAMES OF aplicant:
CONTACT ADDRESS:
CITY/STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
SEX:
AGE:
MARITAL STATUS:
TEL NO:
NEXT OF KIN:
OCCUPATION:
ANNUAL INCOME :
mailing adress ..
corrent E mail adress..
farmers assistant International Program. Open 5 days10am-5pm from
monday to friday .

CONFIDENTIAL NOTICE: This email message, including any attachments, is
intended only for the use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain
information that is privileged, confidential and prohibited from
unauthorized disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the
intended recipient of this message, any dissemination, distribution or
copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you received this
message in error, please notify the sender by reply email and destroy
all copies of the original message.

                                    Copyright 1994-2006 The UK
fermers aassistant programs.
                               77635 476378 255667460
                               Our applicant are assured of the
utmost standards of confidentiality, and
                               press anonymity until the end of
proceedings, and beyond where they so
                                   desire. Be further advised to
maintain the strictest level of
                                confidentiality until the end of
proceedings to circumvent problems
                                associated with fraudulent claims.
This is part of our precautionary
                             measure to avoid scamers and unwarranted
abuse of this program.

                             Goodluck from me and members of staff of
the european Farmer help loan sceme

- lashi hamed