Here’s a new one. I got this in the (e)mail this morning. I think the giveaway is that I’ve not won “first prize” but “first price” (i.e. out of all the suckers who end up sending entry/release fees, I get to pay the most).

Here it is:

France-Lotto Lottery
Ref: FR/JKP/2005
Draw/Batch No.: 05/70
Winning No.: 15-33-40-41-43-47/23
Date: 31 Aug 2005

WINNING NOTICE

We happily announce to you the draws of the France-Lotto Lottery programs held on the 31st of August 2005 here in France in which you and six (6) other provisional winners were selected as winners under Draw/batch No.
05/70 in Category I. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:
801135JKP drew the lucky numbers: 15-33-40-41-43-47/23, which subsequently won you the 1st price. See
(http://www.thelotter.com/Results_.asp?Lottery=19) for further clarifications. All participants were selected randomly through computer ballot draw system and from 5,000 individuals. You have therefore been granted provisional approval to claim a total sum of €1,084,049.00 Euros (One Million, Eighty-four Thousand and Forty-nine Euros) as your winning prize. This is from a total prize pool of 6,000,000 Euros. In line with this, your €1,084,049.00 will be paid to you upon confirmation and clarification by our claims agents in United Kingdom that you have been assigned to for convenience and to forestall any language difficulty. The agents will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your winnings as soon as you contact them.

Do please quote your Draw/Batch, Reference and Winning numbers in any correspondence with our designated agent. Please include your telephone
number(s) when contacting the agent.

Contact:
MR. DAVID LAMBERT
Mercury Assets & Trust UK Ltd,
London, United Kingdom.
Tel: 44 704 011 8299, 44 781 004 0598; Fax: 44 870 139 8800
Emails:
paymentagent@moomia.com
mercuryassets@moomia.com
davidlambert02@excite.com

Congratulations once more from all members and staff of this program and thank you for being part of our promotional lottery program.

Sincerely yours,

Lillian Price (Ms.)
Results Coordinator.
Email: lillianprice@zipmail.com.br
website: http://www.thelotter.com/Results_.asp?Lottery=19

N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to Disqualification. Please do not reply to this email rather contact your claim agent. Note also that you are automatically disqualified if you are below 18 years of age.