09-03-2006

An e-mail chain letter is circulating which falsely claims that the recipient has been randomly selected for a cash prize from The Coca-Cola Company. Subject lines for the e-mails have ranged from "The Coca-Cola Award Notification" to "The Coca-Cola Promo Winning Notification" to "The Coca-Cola Worldwide Christmas Promo" or similar. The e-mail includes fancy language that makes it look "official," and was designed to look legitimate by including a "secret pin code" or reference number and contact information for a Coca-Cola representative.

The Coca-Cola Company is in no way associated with this email or program. We are not a sponsor and our name and trademarks are used here without permission. We are currently investigating the situation.

This appears to be a form of fraud known as "Phishing," wherein perpetrators attempt to develop relationships with victims in order to obtain personal and financial information. Do not reply with any information. Typically, these scam operations begin with an unsolicited communication (usually by e-mail) from an unknown individual who describes a situation that promises quick financial gain. The best way to avoid becoming a victim of advance-fee fraud is common sense -- if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.