The email is from cargounit.com and is titled ‘Your parcel claim reminder notice’

It says

Dear Esteemed Customer,

Your package / diplomatic pouch is ready to be delivered. You have to call stating your last name and first name for us to verify your details and also send you your telephone number with which we can reach you in case we will need further details to confirm your booking for delivery.

This package is being sent to you from the European Financial Authorities as a highly classified package, so you should attend to this case promptly. You have to confirm if you wish to come to Italy for pickup of your cash or if you want us to deliver to you in your location.

And there’s a name and phone number.

This is a very simple scam. They offer you an unspecified amount of money but assumed to be a large sum. Plus a story to explain why they’re giving you the money and how to get it.

This is all dumb of course.

The emailer doesn’t know my name hence I am called dear customer.

There is no possible reason why the European Financial Authorities (there is no organisation of that name) should send me a diplomatic pouch full of money.  And if anyone in authority did want to send me a package then they would have my name and address rather than sending an email asking for such basic information.

The scam is simple – hook a greedy idiot who wants to believe this drivel and then get his or her name, address, phone number and other details then get them to pay a customs release fee or delivery charge or something similar and keep changing the story and asking for more costs to be paid until eventually the victim realises they’ve been had and there is no diplomatic pouch full of cash.

Sad to say people do fall for these scams.

If someone you don’t know offers to give you money for nothing. It’s always a scam.

If you have any experiences with scammers, spammers or time-waster do let me know, by email.