Would it be bad form to call this spam email the French connection to phishing? Probably. So let’s not go there. As I reported in my Crime & Courts column on Examiner.com, Desjardins, has become the hook of choice used in a new email phishing scheme. The email, which is written in French, states that the recipient has won a weekly prize of $1000.00. As is the norm for these types of emails, the recipient must fill out a claim form to receive the prize.
I’ve received two of these emails this week and, while I knew the emails were a scam, got curious. What did all those French words mean? Something about a contest and $1,000? Fortunately, I have a friend, Mary Jane Roe (www.roezes.com), who writes mystery-adventure novels set in France. To cut right to the chase, she speaks the lingo and was happy to translate for me.
Dear Desjardins client,This message has been sent to you automatically by your Desjardins fund.You have won the prize of the week.Your prize is $1000.You need to enter your information below in order to receive your prize.Your prize will then be deposited directly into your Desjardins account within 4 to 6 weeks.
How cool would that be? Automatically winning a thousand bucks. As MJ might say, “Merd.” If only it were true. If you’d like, read the full article on Examiner.com.
