Latest Internet Con

Discussion in 'Trading' started by ArchAngel, Apr 29, 2002.

  1. Doubtful anyone here would be naive enough to fall for this new Internet con game, but according to the FBI there have been a bunch of people cleaned out by a couple of fairly savvy African gangs and (not to be outdone) the con is even being picked up by some US and European gangs.

    So let your more naive relatives and friends know about the scam.

    I've pasted the text of the kind of email these con artists spam out hoping to find a few people gullible enough to buy the pitch and contact them and then give them their bank routing information.

    Per the pitch, the person (con man) seeking help will arrange to transfer $50+ million to the person (sucker) giving their banking info and the poor soul seeking the help will split it with them. Of course, in reality the scammers electronically clean our the person's bank account and disappear into the night.

    It's a great con - it relies on both the sucker's naivity and personal greed with just enough of a soap opera component so that the sucker can believe (if we wants to) that he's helping someone while at the same time taking part in what would be a highly questionable transaction if it were actually true.

    Here's the text - I've seen several of these in slightly different forms and minor twists to the story:

    ATTN: SIR

    This business proposal to you is strictly
    confidential, with due respect. Sorry at this
    perceived confusion or stress you may have receiving
    this letter from me, Since we have not known ourselves
    or met previously. Despite that, I am constrained to
    write you this letter because of the urgency of it.By
    way of self introduction, I am Mrs. Joy Kobe, the wife
    of late Brigadier - Gen.Maxwell Kobe former ECOMOG
    ARMY COMMANDER [West African peacekeeping force in
    Sierra Leone] who died in the Sierra Leone civil
    disturbance [War]. My three daughters and I are
    trapped in obnoxious custom and traditional norms.

    We have suffered maltreatment and untold hardship in
    the hands of my late husband's family, simply because
    I did not bear a male child [heir apparent] for my
    late husband. By tradition, all that my late husband
    had, [wealth] belongs to his brothers/family. And
    myself is to be remarried by his immediate younger
    brother which I vehemently refused. They have taken
    all that I suffered with my husband to acquire
    including treasures, houses and his bank particular
    seized by them. I wanted to escape to the United State
    of America [USA} with my children on exile, but again
    they conspired and stole my international passport and
    other traveling document to further frustrate me.

    Thank God, two weeks ago, I received Key Text Code
    [KTC} from a Security & Finance Company abroad, that
    my late husband deposited U.S
    $51.2 Million cash with this company. It has therefore, become very necessary
    and
    urgent to contact someone, a foreigner like you to help me receive/secure these
    funds
    overseas in a reliable bank Account (presumably an empty Bank
    Account, if available) and to help invest it on our
    behalf as well, while we find a way of getting out to
    meet with you in your country.

    These funds are kept on an "OPEN BENEFICIARY MANDATE"
    with the Security Company to avoid detection, seizure
    or diversion. I have had several telephone discussions
    with the Assistant Director of the security company,
    who has express willingness to help me on meeting the
    company's demands. This is why I have
    contacted you to help save my children and I, receive
    these funds on our behalf. But, you would need to give
    me sufficient assurance that if you help me, you would
    not divert the funds. My children and I have resolved
    to give you 30% of the total sum. This is all my
    children and I have got to live on.

    Please, I have reposed my confidence in you and hope
    you will not disappoint me. I look forward to your
    urgent response, including your private phone / mobile
    No and also your fax no for easier communication.

    NB: The secret codes (e.g Pin No., Secret Access Code)
    for this fund are safely kept with me which I can give
    you as soon as you express desire to help me.

    Stay blessed.
    mrs joy kobe
    PLEASE FOR SECURITY REASON REPLY THROUGH MY PERSONAL
    EMAIL ADDRESS BOX(joykobe2222@lycos.com)THANK YOU.
    THIS IS MY ATTORNEY CONTACTS
    PHONE....234-8033214911.
    FAX....234-1-7595955
     
  2. BKuerbs

    BKuerbs

    Believe it or not this is said to be a 3,5 billion $ market (for the last 10 years). It is not new, before the widespread use of the internet (and e-mail) they contacted their victims via handwritten letters (I was honored by receiving one of them, I'm still receiving lots of e-mails).

    They do not electronically steal your money, when you fall into the trap, you will be asked to send money (some 100K, ridiculuous compared to your future gains, isn't it?) until you sense who is the fool.

    At least some years ago, you were invited to visit nigeria/ghana, led into a real ministry, introduced to the people and so on (all fakes). And then there were some minor problems, to be solved by some 100K $ of your money. Until the poor(? afterwards certainly!) victim took his last $ and fled.

    These offers do come in various disguises, one of the more nasty variance is the following: The widow of a freshly deceased small company owner receives a letter by a nigerian (or whatever) authority innocently asking where to send the 8 million US$ (or so) payment for the last delivery. In a small company the owner is the only one knowing all about his business, so the letter causes some turmoil. The company usually is in danger, it does need money and everything sounds very correct, just nobody knowing what the company did deliver. Guess how it ends...

    Regards

    Bernd Kuerbs
     
  3. We hit the Nigerians for $160 "filing fee" on one of these cons about 10 years ago. Dopes actually sent an assistant of mine a Barclays money order so we had an office luncheon. I remember calling the guy once for the hell of it and hearing screaming kids in the background at the "National Nigerian Somethingorother"
    They wanted to use our escrow account to handle the millions

    Think I remember stories about some folks actually meeting with them and getting held up in airport hotels.

    Geo.

    Now that I think about it though, I can remember about ten years before that getting some crazy things from South Africa that were for real from white folks that wanted out. They were cashing in their chips.
     
  4. A fool and his money...

    Oh wait... I keep parting with mine....hmmm.... :D
     
  5. Splat

    Splat

    Subject: request for assistance

    REQUEST TRANSFER ASSISTANCE.

    I AM MR. FUNSHO WILLIAMS (MNIM), THE CO-ORDINATOR OF THE FEDERAL
    GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA CONTRACT
    REVIEW PANEL OF THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION(NNPC).

    SOMETIME AGO, A CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO A CONGLOMERATE OF FOREIGN
    COMPANIES BY MY COMMITTEE ON
    BEHALF OF NNPC, THE CONTRACT WAS OVER INVOICED TO THE TUNE OF US$24.5
    MILLION. THIS WAS DONE
    DELIBERATELY, THE OVER INVOICING WAS A DEAL BY MEMBERS OF MY COMMITTEE
    TO BENEFIT FROM THE
    PROJECT, WE NOW DESIRE TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY WHICH IS PRESENTLY IN A
    SUSPENSE ACCOUNT OF THE
    NNPC IN THE DEBT RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE (DRC) INTO AN OVERSEAS
    ACCOUNT WHICH WE EXPECT YOU
    TO KINDLY PROVIDE FOR US.

    BENEFITS:
    FOR PROVIDING THE ACCOUNT WHERE WE SHALL REMIT THE MONEY, YOU WILL BE
    ENTITLED TO 25% OF THE
    MONEY, 65% WILL BE FOR ME AND MY PARTNERS, WHILE 10% HAS BEEN MAPPED
    OUT FROM THE TOTAL SUM TO
    COVER ANY EXPENSES THAT MAY BE INCURRED BY US DURING THE COURSE OF THIS
    TRANSACTION, BOTH LOCAL
    AND INTERNATIONAL EXPENSES, THESE ALSO INCLUDE TAXES THAT MAY ARISE.

    I WOULD REQUIRE:
    A. NAME AND ADDRESS OF COMPANY/BENEFICIARY
    B. YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER, BANK ADDRESS AND OTHER INFORMATION
    RELEVANT TO THE PROJECT AT HAND.
    C. IT NOT NESESSARY THAT THE ACCOUNT YOU ARE PROVIDING SHOULD HAVE
    MONEY IN IT, WHAT MATTERS IS
    THAT IT SHOULD HAD BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR A WHILE (ACCOUNTS DYNAMICS)
    AND YOU SHOULD HAVE 100%
    CONTROL OVER IT.

    THE ABOVE INFORMATION WOULD BE USED TO MAKE FORMAL APPLICATIONS AS A
    MATTER OF PROCEDURE FOR THE
    RELEASE OF THE MONEY FOR ONWARD TRANSFER TO YOUR ACCOUNT. IT DOES NOT
    MATTER WHETHER OR NOT YOUR
    COMPANY OR YOU PERFORMED CONTRACT PROJECTS OF THE NATURE DESCRIBED
    HERE, THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT
    YOU WON A MAJOR CONTRACT AND SUB-CONTRACTED IT OUT TO OTHER COMPANIES.
    MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, BIG
    TRADING COMPANIES OR INDIVIDUALS OF UNRELATED FIELD WIN MAJOR CONTRACTS
    AND SUB-CONTRACTS IT OUT
    TO MORE SPECIALISED FIRMS FOR EXECUTION OF SUCH CONTRACTS.WE HAVE
    STRONG AND RELIABLE CONNECTIONS
    AND CONTACTS AT THE DEBT RECONCILIATIONN COMMITTEE (DRC) AND THE
    FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE (FMF)
    AND WE HAVE NO DOUBTS THAT ALL THIS MONEY WILL BE RELEASED AND
    TRANSFERED IF WE GET THE NECESSARY
    FOREIGN PARTNER IN THIS TRASACTION. THEREFORE, WHEN THE BUSINESS IS
    SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED, WE
    SHALL THROUGH OUR SAME CONNECTIONS WITHDRAW ALL DOCUMENTS USED FROM ALL
    THE CONCERNED GOVERNMENT
    MINISTRIES FOR 100% SECURITY.

    WE WANT THIS MONEY TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE OVERSEAS ACCOUNT WHICH YOU
    ARE GOING TO KINDLY PROVIDE
    FOR SAFE KEEPING PENDING WHEN WE WILL DETERMINE HOW WE WANT OUR PORTION
    OF THE MONEY, ALL EXPENSES
    REGARDING THE ACCOUNT OPENING IF NOT ALREADY IN EXISTENCE SHALL BE
    BORNE BY YOU, ALL MONIES SPENT
    FROM PERSONAL PURSE DURING THE COURSE OF THIS TRANSACTION ARE HOWEVER
    REIMBURSEABLE AS ALREADY
    STATED FROM THE 5% THAT HAD BEEN SET ASIDE FOR THIS PURPOSE AFTER THE
    TRANSFER OF THE FUNDS HAVE
    BEEN EFFECTED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT THAT YOU WILL BE PROVIDING FOR THE
    PURPOSE OF THIS BUSINESS.

    PLEASE, CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY THROUGH FAX (234 1 7590371) OR E-MAIL TO
    ASCERTAIN YOUR INTEREST IN
    DOING US THIS FAVOUR, SO THAT IF YOU ARE NOT, IT WILL ENABLE ME SCOUT
    FOR ANOTHER FOREIGN PARTNER
    TO CARRY OUT THIS TRANSACTION. FORTUNATELY, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN
    ASSISTING ME, PLEASE SEND
    THE REQUIRED INFORMATION MENTIONED THROUGH MY DIRECT FAX NUMBER: 234 1
    7590371 OR E-MAIL AT ANY
    TIME OF THE DAY. FOR MORE DETAILS ON THIS TRANSACTION, SEND ME A FAX OR
    E-MAIL.

    IF YOU WILL BE OF ASSISTANCE, I WILL SURELY APPRECIATE AND THANK YOU
    FOR YOUR KINDNESS IN GIVING
    ME THIS ASSISTANCE.

    YOURS SINCERELY,

    MR. FUNSHO WILLIAMS (MNIM).
     
  6. ddefina

    ddefina

    We used to get that letter every year on the fax. Haven't seen it for a couple years.
     
  7. virgin

    virgin

    This the biggest scam there is ; The Nigerian
    scam.
     
  8. davealex

    davealex

    You can read about this (including the FAX history) -- and just about every other Internet scam, chain letter, urban legend, virus hoax and rumor in existence, at this site:

    http://www.snopes.com

    Quite interesting reading. Your head will explode if you read everything, though.

    Search on keywords if you get something e-mailed. Better yet, tell your friends and relatives to search a keyword BEFORE they forward you all that crap they keep sending.

    Dave
     
  9. Who used to have the signature saying of :

    A fool and his money deserve to be parted.