2003-11-17 - 6:02 p.m.
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STRATEGY FOR THE DAY: do not suspend disbelief
Every once in a while I post the latest email scams as a public service, well... actually more for their entertainment value. If these people applied their remarkable creative gifts to something legit I'm sure they would be hugely successful. These are actual emails I've received within the last ten days. (I've deleted phone numbers and email addresses.)
E-SCAM #1
DEAR SIR/MADAM,
FINAL NOTICE OF AWARD NOTIFICATION
We are pleased to inform you of the announcement on Saturday 1st November, 2003 of winners of the E-BUSINESS LOTTO SOUTH AFRICA /INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS, held on 30 October 2003 as part of our promotional draws. Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 2,500,000 (Two Million Five Hundred) email addresses of individuals and companies from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and New Zealand as part of our electronic business Promotions Program. You qualified for the draw as a result of you visiting various websites we are running the e-business promotions for. (Me - Oh, of course. I remember visiting that web site.)
You/Your Company, attached to ticket number to100-309-7482, with serial number 513-10 drew the lucky numbers 5, 9, 12, 29, 40, 59, 76, (Me - Those have always been my lucky numbers.) and consequently won in the Second Category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$25,000.00 (Twenty five thousand US Dollars) in cash, which is the winning payout for Second category winners. This is from the total prize money of US$175,000.00 shared among the seven international winners in the Second category. CONGRATULATIONS!
Your fund is now deposited with the Solid Rock Finance and Security Company. (Me - Love the name!!!) Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program. (Me - Goodness, we wouldn't want anyone doing anything unscrupulous.) We hope with a part of your prize, you will participate in our fourth quarter (2003) high stakes US$1.3 Million International Lottery. To begin your claim, please contact your claim agent immediately;
MR HARRY WILSON
FOREIGN SERVICE MANAGER,
SOLID ROCK FINANCE & SECURITY LTD,
JOHANNESBURG, S.A
Reply EMAIL: (deleted to protect the naive)
For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice you must contact your claim agent not later than 20TH NOVEMBER 2003. After this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed. (Me - And all they will need is your bank account number and an electronic funds transfer approval. Unfortunately, your funds will be going OUT, not IN.)
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference number, the amount won, and batch numbers provided below in every one of your correspondences with your claims agent as well as your contact details.
REFERENCE NUMBER: FLS-ZR39-825P-4
BATCH NUMBER: 74-263-BBN
(Me - They make it sound so official and well organized.)
Congratulations once again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program.
Sincerely,
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
E-BUSINESS LOTTO SOUTH AFRICA.
115 NORDIX AVE. BRYANSTON, 1762
JOHANNESBURG,
SOUTH AFRICA.
N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualification. Please do not reply to this mail. Contact your claims agent. (Me - Uh oh, looks like I'm disqualified.)
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E-SCAM #2
I am Tony Austine I have urgent and very confidential business proposal for you. On June 6,1999, an America Oil consultant/contractor, Mr. Charles Ballassi with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, deposited two trunk boxes in the security company where I work. He died in the plane crash of 31 October,1999 with Egyptian 990. [View the site for better understanding www.cnn.com/us/9911/02/egyptair990.list/index.html] (Me - Just gives it all that oh-so-perfect touch of realism, doesn't it?)
With other passengers aboard he died without leaving any relations because his wife died in the same plane crash. I tried several years after his death to trace any of his relation that might come and claim the consignment of boxes as his next of kin but found none. I then met with his attorney who now said that the Deceased did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official documents. At of curiosity, I then decided to open the trunk boxes and found out that it contains money, the amount will up to $15M, it was then that I recontacted the attorney of the deceased so that we can look for means to work together to look for somebody that will claim this money because according to Nigerian law, at the expiration of (five)years, the consignment and its contents will revert to the ownership of the Nigerian Government if nobody applies to claim it. Consequently,my proposal is that I want you as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to the deceased so that the fruit of this old man's labour will not get into the hands of some corrupt Government officials. (Me - No comment.)
This is simple, I will like you to provide immediately your full name and address so that the lawyer will prepare the necessary documents for the drafting and notarization of the WILL and obtain the necessary documents and letter of probate/administration in your favour to show that you are the next of kin to the deceased.
The security company has office in asia and Europe and if you agree to travel to any of this locations or Nigeria to claim this consignment, the $15M will share in ratio of 70% for my self and the lawyer and 30% for you. There is no risk at all, the paperwork for this transaction will be done legally and this will guarantee the successful execution of this transaction.
If you are interested, please reply immediately either via the email or directly by phone number as given to you above, upon your response, I shall provide you with more details and relevant documents that will help you understand the transaction. Please observe utmost confidentiality and rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because i shall require your assitance to invest my share in your country.
Please upon the reciept of this mail message, send to me the following, to enable start the processes:
1. Your full Name
2. Your private Telephone and fax numbers
3. A copy of your international passport or any other form of valid identification (Me -Sure, buddy!)
Immediately I recieve a mail indicating your interest I shall send you more details.
Thanks and regards,
TONY AUSTINE.
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This type of scam has been popular for the last three or four years. It relies on a combination of greed and gullibility. The scammer actually meets with the scam-ee and all goes well until a little extra money is needed, say, $5,000.00 to bribe an official or grease the palm of a bank employee. And then just a llittle more is required to fix another problem, and then something else comes up. pretty soon the mark is into it for $20,000 or more and the scammer takes off.
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