Spamming continues

It seems that I'm the spammers' favourite choice today. While I was in ashtanga today, I had received a voicemail on my mobile phone. I called my voicemail number, but there were no messages. Odd, I thought, but reconed it was possible that my opeator had changed the voicemail number so I called the number on the message.

Turns out I had won £5000!!!!

Yeah, that will allow me to buy all those flying pigs I always wanted. So lets see now - I get "voicemail" that is not left in my mailbox. My mobile phone number has been picked to win in a competition I knew nothing about. It comes from a company that I can find no information on from the internet. I need to call them back on a premium rate number (that they don't specify the rate on) to claim the price within 48 hours or the price will be reallocated - and oh by the way, the lines might be a bit busy but I should just keep on calling, I'll get trough at some point.

Yeah, thanks but no thanks. Here are some cues for spotting hoaxes:

• The approach, whether in writing, by phone or email, is unsolicited
• There is a very short time in which to respond to claim a prize
• It is an invitation to send a "processing" or "management" fee to claim a prize
• It is an invitation to purchase goods to obtain a prize or reward
• It is an invitation to use premium phone lines
• The source of the promotion is based overseas
• It is in invitation to send money out of the country, particularly to the Netherlands or Canada
• Prizes are expressed in foreign currency
• It is an invitation to provide credit card or bank account details
• Rewards are wholly dependant on persuading others to join a scheme
• Premium rate services generally begin with the numbers 090
• Premium reverse bill text messages usually contain a four or five digit short code number to reply to