Scammed by Mickey Mouse!!??

By Christine Insinga

  Ok- ok- Mickey didn't scam me.  But some RODENT certainly tried to.  This morning I received the following email: 

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From: [email protected]

To: Christine

ReplyTo: [email protected]

Sent: Feb 11, 2009 10:36 AM

Subject: christine insinga You Won

YOU'RE THE WINNER

Because of budget cuts this is the last time Tickets will be offered .

Congratulations; christine insinga You have won a trip to Disney/Orlando, Sponsored by Universal Studios! Sometime ago you signed up at one of our free offer giveaway sites. This email is to notify you that when you submitted the following information:   

                             (My e-mail and old address were here)

You have won an all expense paid trip for two to Disney.  Please update your information at the winners site and we will promptly ship out your Disney tickets.  Link to package:   (I deleted the link)

Thanks, Sue Madden

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    If you got an e-mail like this -- I don't recommend you click on that link they give you- because who knows what it will do to your computer.  I guess I'll find out though.  I 'clicked'- hoping to disprove my disappointment of being potentially scammed by a Super Smiley Mouse Poser...but no such luck.  Once inside- there was a 'questionnaire' that I had to fill out to 'register to win'. RED FLAG FOLKS!!!!  THE EMAIL TOLD ME I HAD ALREADY WON!!....  Enter your name- your address- your email...'the credit card number you use when traveling'....huh?  You're kidding right?  Who would actually fall for this?? 

There are plenty of folks who would.  My collegue Doug Geed grinned ear to ear when I told him I got an email from Mickey!  He's a TREMENDOUS Disney fan- for those who don't know.  He knew off that bat it was a scam- once I started explaining the nature of the email- but there are plenty of trusting- hopeful- optimistic people who have entered many a Disney sweepstakes and might just believe it!  My goal here is to hopefully prevent at least ONE person from making a giant mistake.

I spoke to a Disney representative who varifies it is indeed a scam that has NOTHING to do with DISNEY and has been going around for the better part of a year.  They refer to it as 'The Anti-Mickey email' and say their legal team is investigating it.

  

Bottom line--as if you haven't heard it before---If it sounds too good to be true- it probably is.  Lets' be honest- if you could stay at the 'Happiest Place on Earth' for free the castle would be getting mighty crowded about now, don't ya think?? :)  

Comments

[John]

Sidenote: I think I saw you in Huntington Village with your camera man shortly after your story on the day's destructive winds. I considered introducing myself, but I thought chasing someone half a block down the road into a restaurant might send the wrong message...especially if it turned out to not be you.

[John]

They had your home address, too? That's awfully sophisticated for a typical scam. That means that they paid big money for a contact list that contains e-mail and real addresses.

I mean, it's still a scam, but it's being run by somebody with pretty deep pockets, which should limit their possible sources.

It's not like the fake IRS e-mail. The IRS doesn't even collect e-mail addresses!