Heartbreak: Lottery scam led to NJ grandmother's suicide

Nov 12, 2007, 11:16 pm (24 comments)

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A Jamaica-based lottery scam promising a $2.5 million windfall cost Ann Mowle her entire life savings of $248,000 before the 72-year-old grandmother from Monroe decided she had enough.

Mowle donated her clothes to charity, left her beloved toy poodle Molly at a dog groomers and drove to Spring Lake on Oct. 31. A pair of fishermen found her body on the edge of a jetty at the Worthington Avenue beach the next day. Investigators determined Mowle's death was a suicide.

Mowle's family blames the vicious year-long con for the path to despair that ended on that Spring Lake beach.

The money she had set aside to travel in her retirement and help her grandchildren with college costs was gone. Attempts to recover the funds with the help of authorities only led to embarrassment. In Mowle's final months, she became a recluse — too afraid to leave her apartment and miss the phone call that would finally provide a return of her lost money.

"You're not talking about a gullible person," said her daughter JoAnn Trivisonno, of Virginia. "You're taking about a fearless woman. If this could happen to her, it could happen to anyone."

Mowle, a college graduate who raised three children as a single working parent, received the first letter promising a $2.5 million jackpot in October 2006. To collect, she had to pay $18,000 in fees, which Mowle sent. From there, the scam spiraled out of control with a barrage of phone calls from the con-artists who duped her into sending more cash.

As a former bookkeeper at Princeton University, Mowle kept meticulous records of her year-long deception by the phony Jamaican lottery officials.

Mowle left the documents in a tidy stack on her dining room table in her apartment at the Rossmoor adult community before she left for the last time. The records detail more than 50 wire transfers ranging from $158 to $4,750 to addresses in Jamaica between October 2006 and June.

Despite the paper trail including names and phone numbers, investigators have had little luck in tracking down the scam-artists behind the ploy.

(More details to come in a full story Tuesday.)

Star-Ledger

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Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

This is really a sad story, and confusing one.

"You're not talking about a gullible person," said her daughter JoAnn Trivisonno, of Virginia. "You're taking about a fearless woman. If this could happen to her, it could happen to anyone."

Mowle, a college graduate who raised three children as a single working parent, received the first letter promising a $2.5 million jackpot in October 2006. To collect, she had to pay $18,000 in fees, which Mowle sent. From there, the scam spiraled out of control with a barrage of phone calls from the con-artists who duped her into sending more cash.

As a former bookkeeper at Princeton University, Mowle kept meticulous records of her year-long deception by the phony Jamaican lottery officials.

Her daughter says "Ypu're not talking about a gullible person", yet she sent $18,000 in fees, and more cash after that. If she wasn't gullible why did she let it go so long and for so much?

The whole story on this should be interesting.

Something needs to be done about these internet scammers.  Exactly what, no one knows yet, but something.

s5thomps's avatars5thomps

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Nov 13, 2007

This is really a sad story, and confusing one.

"You're not talking about a gullible person," said her daughter JoAnn Trivisonno, of Virginia. "You're taking about a fearless woman. If this could happen to her, it could happen to anyone."

Mowle, a college graduate who raised three children as a single working parent, received the first letter promising a $2.5 million jackpot in October 2006. To collect, she had to pay $18,000 in fees, which Mowle sent. From there, the scam spiraled out of control with a barrage of phone calls from the con-artists who duped her into sending more cash.

As a former bookkeeper at Princeton University, Mowle kept meticulous records of her year-long deception by the phony Jamaican lottery officials.

Her daughter says "Ypu're not talking about a gullible person", yet she sent $18,000 in fees, and more cash after that. If she wasn't gullible why did she let it go so long and for so much?

The whole story on this should be interesting.

Something needs to be done about these internet scammers.  Exactly what, no one knows yet, but something.

I have to agree with your comments Coin Toss. You should never have to send money to claim a prize. It amazes me how people can fall these scams. She would have been better of going to a lottery retailer and purchasing a ticket. Chances are she would not have won, but at least you know they are legitimate.   

                                                      I Agree!

Big Hitter's avatarBig Hitter

A curse on all the Jamacian scammers and their families. They deserve to boil in oil, every last one of them. With the amount of corruption in the government on that island, it will be a wonder if any of those s***bags are caught.

rsb2323's avatarrsb2323

Quote: Originally posted by Big Hitter on Nov 13, 2007

A curse on all the Jamacian scammers and their families. They deserve to boil in oil, every last one of them. With the amount of corruption in the government on that island, it will be a wonder if any of those s***bags are caught.

Her daughter says she wasn't a gullible woman.  It doesn't sound like she was with her education and background.  Those that do not sympathize with this story must consider this, I have received hundreds, literally hundreds of e-mails from these scammers and they make me laugh uproarously every time.  Their wording is amazing.  They actually make you think you've won. 

Adding insult to injury, I decided to take a few of the most persitent ones for a ride myself and act as though I'd taken the bait.  The results were hillarious.  It was almost as if I could hear the desperation in their voices, the greed was overwhelming.

When they thought they'd applied enough pressure, I'd hit them with an e-mail informing them that they'd been suckered by a fed up American.  That's putting it mildly.  I won't include the language I used.  You get the point.

Unfortunately, they won't be caught and pulling scams on Americans is their main source of income.  Why not?  It works wonders for them.  They prey upon our elders like vultures.  They can't be stopped that's why so many of them do these scams.

I have a small business on Amazon and they even try to pull scams on me to ship electronics overseas.  Amazon has my business listed as new so they seek out new companies to see if they'll take the bait.  The idea being that you ship items overseas, the items come up missing or undeliverable and they make an insurance claim.

It's a shame but it happens.

The newest scams they're hitting me with are ones that carry actual US company logos like Coca Cola, Pepsico, etc.  I always forward these scam mails to the companies.

orangeman

If this happens to you, have some fun with them.  Tell them to send YOU money to assure they are open and above board.  Salesmen cannot handle partial agreement.  It drives them insane.  Human greed nails people every time. 

Orangeman

rsb2323's avatarrsb2323

Quote: Originally posted by orangeman on Nov 13, 2007

If this happens to you, have some fun with them.  Tell them to send YOU money to assure they are open and above board.  Salesmen cannot handle partial agreement.  It drives them insane.  Human greed nails people every time. 

Orangeman

You are so right.  I hate to say it but that is what happened to this dear woman, human greed.

Bang Head

It's funny but right after I left here, I checked my e-mail and yep, I'd received yet another of those LUCKY WINNER scams.  The guy that sent it had the nerve to have the name, "Barrister Dan Jacker."

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by s5thomps on Nov 13, 2007

I have to agree with your comments Coin Toss. You should never have to send money to claim a prize. It amazes me how people can fall these scams. She would have been better of going to a lottery retailer and purchasing a ticket. Chances are she would not have won, but at least you know they are legitimate.   

                                                      I Agree!

There are probably 50 people for every 1 person we read about getting scammed because they are embarrassed. Other than filling a report and warning others, there is little or nothing their Police Department can do.

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

I agree with all of you.  How can anyone believe she won $2.5 million from another country and send money?  But it happens all the time. 

It was probably the humiliation that killed her.  We will also never know what her family said to her.  I deleted my comment yesterday because I sounded so judgmental.  I understand what it's like to lose so much  (your home, money, health) and starting all over at age 72 can't be easy.  She must have been overwhelmed with shame and embarrassment.

However, not long ago I sat with someone who was very ill, but wanted to live so badly just long enough to see his new greatgrandson.  The woman in this article had a family, so I just don't understand why she felt she had nowhere to turn.  The depression from falling victim to the scam must have been too much for her to handle.  So tragic.

So - just this keep in mind everyone.  Unless you are in the final days of a debilitating illness crying in agony for the morphine (yes, I believe it's okay at that point) there is never, ever any excuse for taking your own life, especially over money, no matter how terrible things appear to be.  There is always another sunrise.

I wrote this for myself too.

rsb2323's avatarrsb2323

Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Nov 13, 2007

I agree with all of you.  How can anyone believe she won $2.5 million from another country and send money?  But it happens all the time. 

It was probably the humiliation that killed her.  We will also never know what her family said to her.  I deleted my comment yesterday because I sounded so judgmental.  I understand what it's like to lose so much  (your home, money, health) and starting all over at age 72 can't be easy.  She must have been overwhelmed with shame and embarrassment.

However, not long ago I sat with someone who was very ill, but wanted to live so badly just long enough to see his new greatgrandson.  The woman in this article had a family, so I just don't understand why she felt she had nowhere to turn.  The depression from falling victim to the scam must have been too much for her to handle.  So tragic.

So - just this keep in mind everyone.  Unless you are in the final days of a debilitating illness crying in agony for the morphine (yes, I believe it's okay at that point) there is never, ever any excuse for taking your own life, especially over money, no matter how terrible things appear to be.  There is always another sunrise.

I wrote this for myself too.

Wow.

I can't agree with you more.

I've been there too.

US Flag

JackpotWanna's avatarJackpotWanna

I want to cry.  This story is so sad.  My heart goes out to the family.

duckman's avatarduckman

Very sad story indeed.

Unfortunately, the email weasles out there are conning people out of money every minute of every day.

If everyone would follow simple rules such as those below, the email weasles would go away:

1. Assume ALL unsolicited emails are SCAMS. Period.

2. Never click on a link in any email you receive.

3. If something is "free" then it should cost ZERO. NOTHING. No bank account or credit card information should ever be required. Bogus claims such as "we just need your account information for verification only" means it is a scam.

Another favorite of mine are those companies which offer something for "free" and then want a shipping, handling, or other "fee" for it. If there is ANY fee or cost then it is NOT free. If someone offers something for free and then wants some other fee, then they have lied to you. SCAM.

LottoAce's avatarLottoAce

Believe it or not, I have a really good friend that I work, and fish with that fell for a very similiar scam.

His wife was supposibly playing some internet lottery. (I'll get back to that one) they recieved (from Candada) a check in the mail for 5800 dollars, along with a letter stating that he had to pay 1800 dollars in processing fees. His first instinct was, its a scam. but his wife conviced him that it was probably from the website she had been visiting and that it was legitimate. He went to the bank and deposited the check. after three days, THE CHECK CLEARED. the money was deposited into his bank account.

home free....right?..not quite.

he withdrew the 1800 bucks, got a money order and sent the money to the given address in Canada!

He never said a word to me.

guess what happened next. 7 days later he goes to draw out 20 bucks so we could go fishing at his banks atm. his account had been frozen! he went inside the bank while I waited in the truck. he came out with the most horrid look upon his face. he told me the entire story.

The check for the Lottery was a Fraud. how it cleared the first time, I don't know. I do know this.

I told him, "you know I keep up with Lottery's. you should have come to me and ask for some advice!"

"you should have trusted your first instinct and not listened to your wife."

The only legal Lotteries in the US are the State/Multistate funded lotteries!

The Powerball and The Cash 5 are the only legal lotteries in NC right now.

all the others are operating illegally, or are a scam.

Personally, I would never play even an out of country lottery. There was an American that won the Spanish El Goro. when he went to the lottery office to collect, The Spanish bastards refused to pay him because he was not a Spanish Citizen!

No Legitimate Lottery will ever CONTACT YOU and INFORM you that you are a winner. they would rather see you not collect! it is your responsibility to identify yourself as a winner and claim your prize!

He should have gotten some advice,

They better never send me one of those scam Lottery winning Checks.

I WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE POLICE STATION TO SET UP A STING OPERATION!!!

Moral of the story.

never get involved in any buisiness deal that you know nothing about, without consulting an unbiosed outside expert.

unless you were a stock annalyist, CPA, finacial planner, with a buisiness degree, you wouldn't invest your retirement into a company without first checking it out would you?....if you had never even purchaced your first home, you wouldn't buy into real estate without an apprasial, or at least a realitor advice? would you?

I could have saved my friend alot of money, had he have seeked my advice. and even if I didn't know what to tell him, (which I did) I have had enough experience with Lotteries that I could have directed him down the right path. 

needless to say I had to spot him the gas money to go fishing that day. what are friends for?.

I only wish I could have saved him the heartache of loosing 1800 dollars!

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

LottoAce's avatarLottoAce

 Corrections...

7 days later he goes to draw out 20 bucks from his banks atm machine so we could go fishing.

we weren't fishing at his banks atm...LOL

 

unless you were a stock annalyist, CPA, finacial planner, with a buisiness degree, you wouldn't invest your retirement into a company without seeking an experts advice? most of these people wouldn't either. why should you? even if you were such an expert yourself, I would hope you would have the wisdom to at least check the company out for yourself. 

I won't even try to fix the spelling....its late, I'm tired.

but I think you people get my point.:)

BobP's avatarBobP

The best advice is not to open contact with criminals no matter how savy you think you are.  Yes the person at the other end of the email is often a teenager, but they are working for real criminals who think nothing of doing you in.  To them you are nothing more then cash cows to be milked. No words you type are going to cause them the least concern no matter how dirty or threatening, they will laugh and move on to the next potential sucker forging your email address as the sender. 

The woman who killed herself must have cared more about her reputation then her family, (who should have been willing to take her in). 

BobP
 

csfb's avatarcsfb

I'm so sorry for the woman.  She must have been so depressed after the stark realization she had lost her lifetime savings.

The elderly become feeble-minded as they get older.  That is why they are easy prey to the con artist. 

We should revere our elderly, instead of victimizing them.

I hope the people that did this to her will suffer for a very long long time and die violent deaths.  Bash

mrichardson$'s avatarmrichardson$

Some people just don`t care what they do to other people. They only care about money !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rsb2323's avatarrsb2323

Here is a scam e-mail I received today.  This is why so many people fall for this crap.  These people should be shot!!!

 

PLEASE HELP ME, FOR GOD SAKE‏
From:COLLINS IKPOMWONSA (fauxpas@singnet.com.sg)
Sent:Wed 11/14/07 8:24 AM
Reply-to:williams_spencer04@hotmail.co.uk
To: collinsikpomwonsa@hotmail.com

 

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

It is obvious that this mail will come to
you as a surprise. This is Because we have
not met before but I am

sending you this email due to the
circumstance surrounding the health of my
dad, Mr. Christopher
Ikpomwonsa.

My name is Collins Ikpomwonsa, the eldest
child to my dad, I am 15 years old, a native
of Edo State,

Nigeria. I know very well that, you are
going to take this message as one of those
junk messages. But

believe me, it is real from the dept of my
heart. I cannot claim my dad to be heal,
when he is not.

Like I earlier told you, my dad is very
heal. He is suffering from cancerous ailment
and stroke. Doctor

said he can live with the stroke for the
rest of his life, so long as he is able to
maintain good diet and have

a well regulated blood pressure. But the
problem we are having now is that of the
cancer. He has limited

time to go about the operation. He has been
referred to have the operation done in
Germany, but no funds

to start up with. Doctor's report has been
acquired for the application of visa at the
German embassy

here in Nigeria. The problem now is, there
is no funds to start up with. Not even a
transportation fare

that could be used from my State, Edo State
to Lagos State, where the Embassy is
located, not to talk

about the ticket fee and the treatment
expenses in Germany.

My family is a very poor on we barely eat
from hand to mouth. And there is no security
for us to acquire

a lone for this, and we have not been able
invest in the NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE

SCHEME(NHIS), because there is no money to
do it with.

So due to the above, I have decided to go
into begging and soliciting for funds from
people to help my

poor family in this circumstance that has
befallen us. Please, in the name of God, and
for Humanity sake, I

am pleading for help from you, it does not
matter how small it is, it could make a
dying life survive. I

know God will with his abundant wealth will
refill it for you in thousand folds.

Immediately I am through with sending you
this mail, I will go back to the street to
continue begging from

people over here.

I am sorry if this is going to get you
inconvenienced, please do not bother your
good self. Because, I do

not want you to please me, while displeasing
your self. But, if you know you have enough
to help my poor

family with, please do help, and God will
bless you.

You can contact me with the below email
address and phone number:
Email: collinsikpomwonsa@yahoo.com
Phone: +2347031154801


Thank you so much for your response.

Your Child,
Collins Ikpomwonsa.
I sent this fraud a n e-mail telling him I had money to send him.  I'm waiting on a response.
Rant
grengrad's avatargrengrad

I know someone that has won two fairly large online contests.

What happens when you really win is they call you.

They say, "is this Mr. So and So?"

When you say yes, they say, "Mr.  So and So, you have won $XX,XXX from the such and such contest"

"We have your name and address as Such and Such is this correct?"

When my friend replied, "So is this kind of scam where I have to send you money first?" They replied, "No Mr. So and So, a when you win a real contest you are never asked to pay any money of any kind." 

"Mr. So and So, we are going to send you an affidavit to sign and notarize stating that you are who you say you are and live where you say you live Once we receive that affidavit back we will mail you a check for $XX,XXX."

A day or two later you get an affidavit in the mail that asks you to confirm that you really are Mr. So and So and live at Such and Such Address. It only asks you to sign for this information. It does not ask you for your social security number, drivers license number, or any banking information. They do not ask for any fees of any kind, not even for the cost of them shipping you the affidavit.

A few weeks after you mail in the affidavit you will receive a check.  

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

Quote: Originally posted by csfb on Nov 14, 2007

I'm so sorry for the woman.  She must have been so depressed after the stark realization she had lost her lifetime savings.

The elderly become feeble-minded as they get older.  That is why they are easy prey to the con artist. 

We should revere our elderly, instead of victimizing them.

I hope the people that did this to her will suffer for a very long long time and die violent deaths.  Bash

I would agree with you, but she was only 72 years old! That isn't old by today's standards.  Except for those unfortunate individuals who are afflicted with dementia and Alzheimer's disease, the mind is usually the last thing to go.  Many great artists are creating brilliant works at 80.  As you probably know, Normal Mailer died last week at age 84.  He completed a novel last year.  A really silly show with Charlie Sheen called 2-1/2 Men has Robert Wagner (age 77) as an occasional guest.  He's still hot! (well, I think so)  Roger Moore (be still my heart!) who played James Bond until he was 58 is currently an Ambassador for UNICEF at 80 years old.  Former Pres Carter is 83 and visited Darfur last month to promote peace with Rev Desmond Tutu (he's only 76)   Henry Kissinger, born 1923, still advises our world leaders on international relationships.  Barbara Walters is 78.  At age 88 Mike Wallace decided it was time to retire from 60 Minutes.  (I agreed)  However, if 91 year old Walter Cronkite wants to come back to anchor the evening news again, I'll be watching.

Well, I think I've made my point that most people do not become feeble-minded as they get older, just those who stop using their minds in the first place.

csfb's avatarcsfb

I'm sure this woman was more alert at 62 than at 72.  Barbara Walters, et al, the same way.  It's the natural course of life.  Aging, it's called.  We will all get there in our own time and pace.

time*treat's avatartime*treat

Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Nov 15, 2007

I would agree with you, but she was only 72 years old! That isn't old by today's standards.  Except for those unfortunate individuals who are afflicted with dementia and Alzheimer's disease, the mind is usually the last thing to go.  Many great artists are creating brilliant works at 80.  As you probably know, Normal Mailer died last week at age 84.  He completed a novel last year.  A really silly show with Charlie Sheen called 2-1/2 Men has Robert Wagner (age 77) as an occasional guest.  He's still hot! (well, I think so)  Roger Moore (be still my heart!) who played James Bond until he was 58 is currently an Ambassador for UNICEF at 80 years old.  Former Pres Carter is 83 and visited Darfur last month to promote peace with Rev Desmond Tutu (he's only 76)   Henry Kissinger, born 1923, still advises our world leaders on international relationships.  Barbara Walters is 78.  At age 88 Mike Wallace decided it was time to retire from 60 Minutes.  (I agreed)  However, if 91 year old Walter Cronkite wants to come back to anchor the evening news again, I'll be watching.

Well, I think I've made my point that most people do not become feeble-minded as they get older, just those who stop using their minds in the first place.

Some of those people, arguably, started out feeble-minded... although it does explain why some "world leaders" are making such clever(Not!) decisions these daysClown.

Anyway, something about this story doesn't set right with me.  

She's gonna get scammed out of a quarter mil, chasing only 2.5 mil?

She's keeping these detailed records, and not telling any of the kids what's going on during the entire episode? 

LckyLary

Possible remedies: 

A severe penalty for sending such a letter or e-mail. That is, the person who is told they "won" should immediately be able to sue for that amount, either the sender or the country of origin. At least make the penalties more severe than the penalty for illegally downloading music. If someone is targeted who is elderly or unable to understand the situation that should be even more severe! 

Mail servers should be able to detect incoming mail mentioning winning Lottery prizes and someone at the ISP can intervene and then take immediate action against the sender.

KyMystikal's avatarKyMystikal

Quote: Originally posted by LottoAce on Nov 13, 2007

Believe it or not, I have a really good friend that I work, and fish with that fell for a very similiar scam.

His wife was supposibly playing some internet lottery. (I'll get back to that one) they recieved (from Candada) a check in the mail for 5800 dollars, along with a letter stating that he had to pay 1800 dollars in processing fees. His first instinct was, its a scam. but his wife conviced him that it was probably from the website she had been visiting and that it was legitimate. He went to the bank and deposited the check. after three days, THE CHECK CLEARED. the money was deposited into his bank account.

home free....right?..not quite.

he withdrew the 1800 bucks, got a money order and sent the money to the given address in Canada!

He never said a word to me.

guess what happened next. 7 days later he goes to draw out 20 bucks so we could go fishing at his banks atm. his account had been frozen! he went inside the bank while I waited in the truck. he came out with the most horrid look upon his face. he told me the entire story.

The check for the Lottery was a Fraud. how it cleared the first time, I don't know. I do know this.

I told him, "you know I keep up with Lottery's. you should have come to me and ask for some advice!"

"you should have trusted your first instinct and not listened to your wife."

The only legal Lotteries in the US are the State/Multistate funded lotteries!

The Powerball and The Cash 5 are the only legal lotteries in NC right now.

all the others are operating illegally, or are a scam.

Personally, I would never play even an out of country lottery. There was an American that won the Spanish El Goro. when he went to the lottery office to collect, The Spanish bastards refused to pay him because he was not a Spanish Citizen!

No Legitimate Lottery will ever CONTACT YOU and INFORM you that you are a winner. they would rather see you not collect! it is your responsibility to identify yourself as a winner and claim your prize!

He should have gotten some advice,

They better never send me one of those scam Lottery winning Checks.

I WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE POLICE STATION TO SET UP A STING OPERATION!!!

Moral of the story.

never get involved in any buisiness deal that you know nothing about, without consulting an unbiosed outside expert.

unless you were a stock annalyist, CPA, finacial planner, with a buisiness degree, you wouldn't invest your retirement into a company without first checking it out would you?....if you had never even purchaced your first home, you wouldn't buy into real estate without an apprasial, or at least a realitor advice? would you?

I could have saved my friend alot of money, had he have seeked my advice. and even if I didn't know what to tell him, (which I did) I have had enough experience with Lotteries that I could have directed him down the right path. 

needless to say I had to spot him the gas money to go fishing that day. what are friends for?.

I only wish I could have saved him the heartache of loosing 1800 dollars!

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

This reminds me of this scam several people tried to run on me on Postaroo.com. I was selling a riding lawn mower and someone answered the ad stating that they were from the US but out of the country on business. They wanted to know if it was ok to send a postal money order for the lawn mower for $2300 which I was selling for $350. I was told to cash the money order and a amount for shipping the lawnmower, which I have forgot exactly what it was but it was around $1,500,  was to be put on a  money order and sent to that shipper who would come pick up the lawn mower once they received my money order. The difference from the original sales price and the shipping was mine to keep for all my troubles. There were a lot of red flags that came up when I first read the email from that person but the keeping the difference at the end was the "nail in the coffin" for me on determining that it was a scam.  I know people get scammed into paying more for something than what it's worth but nobody gives away twice as much money for a item, atleast not volunteering on their own.

KY Floyd's avatarKY Floyd

Quote: Originally posted by LckyLary on Nov 21, 2007

Possible remedies: 

A severe penalty for sending such a letter or e-mail. That is, the person who is told they "won" should immediately be able to sue for that amount, either the sender or the country of origin. At least make the penalties more severe than the penalty for illegally downloading music. If someone is targeted who is elderly or unable to understand the situation that should be even more severe! 

Mail servers should be able to detect incoming mail mentioning winning Lottery prizes and someone at the ISP can intervene and then take immediate action against the sender.

There are already penaties for fraud. The problem is catching the people who are committing the fraud. Some of them are stupid, but it's not easy to catch the smarter ones. Smart people are often ahead of others in new endeavors and some of the smart criminals will always be ahead of the people trying to stop them. At the opposite end, there will always be people falling for the newest (and sometimes the very old) scams.

The technology to scan emails is readily available, but if you think that's the solution you probably haven't thought it through.  It would be wildly impractical to look at every email that mentions winning the lottery, so let's assume that only emails containing the full text of a known message are flagged. How many of them are going to be perfectly legitimate emails from people who think they need to forward it to everyone in their address book to warn them about it? What do you suppose your internet service would cost if your ISP had to have somebody read 1000 or 10,000 emails a day and decide what to do about them?

Perhaps the bigger problem is the door you'd be opening for people to read your email because they have your best interest in mind.  Do you reeally want the government, your ISP, or anyone else reading your email?

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