Pepsi Prize

I'm truly honored, Pepsi, that you've chosen me as a prize winner.

What has me stumped is your address. You claim to be located on Canary Wharf in London, or at least the Pepsi Company's Promotion/Prize Award Department is there. I'd have expected an e-mail that originated in New York or San Antonio or the like.

The Promo Board is going to pay me 1.5 million pounds sterling. Lovely, but could I get it in euros? Easier to bank, and I don't want to cause too much trouble for the bank teller, having to calculate the exchange rate and all.

Time to get down to business if I'm to be a newly minted millionaire. Mr. Vanden MacAlister is sitting in his office on Canada Square, just waiting for my information. What does he need to know? My name, oddly enough. You'd think he'd have that data at hand, since he's the one contacting me. Why, it almost sounds like he's picked my e-mail address at random.

Age, occupation, phone, fax and mobile, annual income, how often I drink Pepsi. Easy to answer. Sex? Yes, please.

There's another puzzle here as well. The web address of the computer that sent me this exciting news is based in a private residence in Whitecourt, Alberta. That's in Canada. Nowhere near Canary Wharf, which is in London, England.

Perhaps that's where Rhonda Williams, the Online Co-ordinator, is co-ordinating all these prize notifications. Of course, that explains it. This couldn't possibly be any sort of scam.