This one just in. We’ll give it to these con artists – the ability to grab a big brand name and attempt to pass yourself of as it, just does not get much bigger than the Coca-Cola brand.

Like the earlier scams we wrote about this one too came in via unsolicited email – aka- spam, and features many of the same easily identifiable traits that set it out as an obvious scam. First, like the other scams we seem to have won something that we never entered in to. Second, like the previous Internet scams this one features borrowing of a known trade name to attempt to disguise the scam, in this case the brand name is none other than the widely recognized Coca-Cola.

Another feature that sets this out as an obvious scam is the multiple emails, none of which have anything to do with Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is a billion dollar company, they can afford to have personalized emails for their employees anywhere in the world – even Hong Kong. The email reply address shows yet another high level employee languishing with a free Yahoo email address. But this scam gets even more obvious at the end of the pitch when they ask for a reply to another free email service address – so in total there are two different non-Coca-Cola related email addresses we are to respond to. There is also no address, and no website link. That should set off even the most novice of computer user or unsuspecting victim.

The ticoda.com domain is registered to Liu Chun of Shanghai China and the dns is pointed to servers run through China.

Like the previous scam attempts we will make contact with the conman and pretend to be none the wiser. We will publish all correspondence and we will also be notifying Coca-Cola about the theft of the brand name for use in this scam attempt.

The following is the scam email in full:

COCA-COLA ONLINE PROMOTIONS!!!

THE COCA COLA COMPANY Hong Kong office is Giving Away a cash bonus of $5 Million dollars only.

The Company is trying e-mail-to-e-mail advertising to introduce its products.

The reward you received for advertising for them is a Mercedes-Benz, ML class jeep convertible! And cash prize of $5 Million dollars only.

To receive your cash all you need to do is send us your

1. Full name
2. Address / contact number
3. Country of origin
4. Occupation
5. Email.

Within 1 month you will receive the cash in one of our payment centers. Please indicate the one closer to your location.

Asia

Europe

South Africa

A draw has just been concluded in Hong Kong last weekend
(we contacted you via your email address).

You must send your contact informations to, cocacolapayment@ticoda.com or tonyman001@excite.com

Kind Regards,
Alexander de Guzman
Sales /Marketing Manager
coca cola Asia
Hong Kong

+852 66308002