Email and Internet Scams

Rumor: Photos for Coca-Cola advertising

The Coca-Cola Company has learned of emails in circulation that falsely claim that the recipient's photos have been selected for use by Coca-Cola, often for a billboard. The emails often ask for a payment to be sent, whether it is for a sign-up fee or the agent's percentage of a promised payment. In some cases, the request for money does not come until the recipient responds to the original email.

View samples of email hoaxes here.   NOTE: The sample list does not include all Coca-Cola email hoaxes in circulation. Other email hoaxes may exist and may not be included here.

Our Response:  The Coca-Cola Company is in no way associated with these emails. The individuals and agencies named are not working on behalf of Coca-Cola, and we did not sanction the use of our name or trademarks for these emails. This appears to be a fraud in which the sender hopes the recipients will send them money before learning that the offer is a scam. In some cases, the request for money is not mentioned in the original email, and the intent may be to obtain personal and financial information. This type of fraud is known as "phishing." Common signs that an email is part of a scam or phishing campaign include:

• Spelling and grammatical errors in the email;
• Improper use of company trademarks;
• Sender's use of free, non-corporate email accounts (such as Yahoo!, AOL and Hotmail);
• Requests for personal information and the promise of quick financial gain.