Wednesday, January 30, 2008

They Will Take Everything


That's right. If you fall victim to one of these scams you could lose everything. The next thing you know your beautiful antebellum house is just a shell. They'll even take the windows!!! So please think twice before responding to these scammers who pull on your heartstrings, call you friend, tell you God will bless you, etc. These spam scammers are ruthless and they obviously have NO remorse.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Time to Fight Back! Let's Spam the Spammers

As you can tell from this blog there are hundreds upon thousands of spam scams circulating on the World Wide Web. Our email mailboxes get filled with these scams every day. It's quite frustrating because it takes time to delete these emails...........and.........we get so used to seeing them that we could actually delete a real email of importance.

So today I started to wonder....how can we fight back? Then an idea came to mind.

What if we all copy and paste the SAME scam and send it back to the original sender. Maybe he/she would then spend so much time deleting their spam that they wouldn't have time to spam others :)

To protect ourselves lets write, "This is a spam email we received which we DO NOT believe to be true. In NO way do we endorse the contents of this email, however, we thought you may want to investigate since it used your name and email address as the sender. We have forwarded a copy to the appropriate parties so they can investigate and clear you and your clients name if either of you have been misrepresented. Good luck in resolving this matter."

If anyone wants to join in on the fight here's todays opportunity.

We received this spam scam from: robertkenolly_esq66@yahoo.com
Here's the email scam sent in by Robert:

Just copy and paste the email below and send it back to the address listed above. Hopefully he'll get the message.....over and over and over and over.

BARRISTER ROBERT KENOLLY.
SUPREMECHAMBERS
35 KOFO ABAYOMI ST/ KALCUTA CRESCENTS
APAPA-LAGOS.

Dear Sir/Madam,


This letter is not intended to cause any embarrassment in whatever form,rather it is intended to contact your esteemed self, following the knowledge of your high repute and trust worthiness.

Firstly,I must solicit your confidentiality. I know that a proposal of this magnitude will make anyone apprehensive and worried,but I am assuring you that it is made in good faith and will be of mutual benefit.

I am Barr.ROBERT KENOLLY, Esq, the personal attorney to Mr.William,herein after referred to as my client, who used to work with National Oil plc.My client and his entire family were involved in a plane mishap that took place in Kano

For more details and pictures of the plain crash Please Click and view the Link below to see Clip of the incident.News.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1968616.stm

I have since made several inquiries to your Embassy, in a bid to locate any relation of my client, and these efforts of mine have not been productive. I then decided to trace his last name over the internet, and came across your name which is why I have contacted you to assist me in securing the money and property left behind by my client before they are declared as unclaimed and unserviceable by the bank where they have been lodged for safekeeping.

I am particularly interested in securing the funds lodged with a Finance Firm,The sum of USD11.5M Dollars.This is because the said Bank has issued a notice to me, unequivocally instructing me to produce the Next of Kin / Beneficiary to the said account within the next ten official working days, or have the account confiscated. Considering my lack of success in my bid to locate his relatives for over two years,I solicit your consent to enable me produce you as the Next of Kin to my deceased client, since you both bear the same last name.

The funds will then be transferred to you as the beneficiary and shared according to a proposed sharing pattern /ratio of 60:40 i.e. 60% for me and 40% for you. I will provide the necessary, legally obtained documents to back up any claim we make
regarding this process, and will just require your understanding/ cooperation to enable us achieve success within a legitimate arrangement, laminating any liability resulting from any breach of the prevalent laws.

Your urgent response will be highly appreciated. My direct contacts have been provided above, use same accordingly for effective communication,then kindly respond immediately.

Thank you.

Best regards,

Barr.ROBERT KENOLLY(Esq)

Saddam Hussein Money Transfer Scam

It's amazing how these scammers feel no remorse in using the names of real people to make their scams sound more believable. In this case this scammer acts like he and one of his fallen military comrades found millions of dollars which had belonged to Saddam Hussein. Same scam, different story.

Here he wants you to help him transfer the millions for a generous commission. Of course once you give your information he'll drain your bank accounts and leave you holding the bag.

Hopefully one day some of these scammers will get caught. It would be a shame if this scam ever fell into the hands of the family of the fallen soldier he refers to in this email. They've lost enough as it is.

Here's this one....

Subject read: From Sergeant Giles Bright

FROM: SERGEANT GILES BRIGHT.
Camp MXP-512 Third Infantry Division Unit(T.I.D.U), Abul Uruj, Baghdad , Iraq .

I am Sergeant Giles Bright, a native of the United Kingdom . But a citizen and resident of the US . I am a soldier of the America troop currently serving in the third infantry division Unit in Iraq .
I am currently on duty break. My partner Darren D. Braswell,36, of Riverdale , Ga. ,Darren D.Braswell died Jan. 7th near TalAfar , Iraq , when the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter in which he was a passenger crashed.
Braswell worked For the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Before his death

We secretly moved some abandoned cash in a mansion belonging to the former president, Saddam Hussein and the total cash is US$20,200,000.00 (Twenty Million two hundred thousand Dollars). As I write this letter to you, this boxes are in security company as I secretly moved it out of Iraq to safe place. You do not have to be afraid of anything as no one else knows about this and everything is safe.

I would be pleased And grateful to you if you could assist me and My late partner Darren D. Braswel in receiving this boxes for us on your behalf as I will be heading back soon to camp in Iraq to join my colleagues. Of course, I shall compensate you with an attractive percent of the total funds for your role/efforts. We have limited time now, kindly get back to me immediately.

Moving the funds out of the security company is not going to be much of a problem as arrangements are being made towards that. All I want from you is your trust, please get back to me with your full name and contact phone number (cell phone, preferable) without delay and lets negotiate terms.

Your response will determine our subsequent correspondence.
You can read more on this website for more information and explanations


Yours in Service.
SERGEANT GILES BRIGHT

Friday, January 18, 2008

Another UK Lottery Scam

Here's another apparent lotto scam. It's pretty amazing that a company we've NEVER heard of has so much money to give away to someone that knows nothing about them. We don't think we'll give them our personal information any time soon.


--
Online Cyber Lottery
20 Craven Park,
Harlesden London NW10
United Kingdom
Ref Number: EH 9590 OG 0612
Batch Number: 563881545-NL/2006


Dear Winner,

WINNING NOTIFICATION

The prestigious Online Cyber has set out and sucessfully organised a
Sweepstakes marking the new year 2008 anniversary we rolled out over
$25,000.000.00 for our end of year Anniversary Draws. Participants for the
draws were randomly selected and drawn from a wide range of web hosts which
we enjoy their patronage.

The selection was made through a computer draw system attaching personalised
email addresses to ticket numbers.
Your email address as indicated was drawn and attached to Ref Number: EH
9590 OG 0612, Batch Number: 563881545-NL/2007 and Ticket Number: PP 3502
/8707-01 which subsequently won you $2,500,000.00 USD as one of the 10
jackpot winners in this draw. You have therefore won the entire winning sum
of $2,500,000.00 USD.

Please be informed by this winning notification,to file your claims,you are
to make contact with your designated agent who shall by duty guide you
through the process to facilitate the release of your prize. To file for
your claim Please Contact your fiduciary agent

Name: Steve West,
Phone: +44 70359 02983
+44 70359 02983
Email:onlinecyber_lottery@strompost.com



You are advised to contact your fiduciary agent with the following details
to avoid unnecessary delays and complications:
1. Full name and address.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Country.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Tel and fax number.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Age
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Occupation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.Email Address.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.Electronic Bank Transfer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Issuance of a certified Cheque.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for being part of this promotional award program.

Our special thanks and gratitude to Bill Gates and his associates.We wish
you the best of luck as you spend your good fortune.
Yours Faithfully,
Walter Jones.
Lottery Coordinator.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Spam Scam Rebate Scam Spam....Ahhhhhhhhh

This may be the craziest alleged bank scam we've seen. This email claims you get $150,000 as payment to make up for someone else scamming you previously. Of course they want you to hurry and be secretive because there are only 37 rewards left. We're not sure what to label this....perhaps a spam scam rebate from a spam scam. With all the spam and scam in this email maybe we'll call it the Green Eggs and Ham spam scam, Sam I am. :)



Attn: Sir/Madam,



SCAMMED VICTIM/$150,000 BENEFICIARIES.



REF/PAYMENTS CODE: 02007 $150,000 USD.



This is to bring to your notice that We have been having a meeting for

the passed 7 months which ended 2 days ago with the former secretary to

the UNITED NATIONS. On this faithful recommendations, I want you to

know that during the last U.N. meetings held at Abuja, Federal Republic

of Nigeria, it was alarmed so much by the world in the meetings on

the lost of funds by various individuals to scams artists operating in

syndicates all over the world today.



In other to compensate these victims, the U.N Body is now paying 221

victims of this operators $150,000 USD each in accordance with the U.N

recommendations.



Due to the corrupt and in-efficient Banking Systems in Federal

Republic of Nigeria, the payments are to be paid by UNION BANK PLC as

corresponding paying bank under funding assistance by United Nation body.

Benefactor will be cleared and recommended for payment by UNION BANK PLC

Nigeria.According to the number of applicants at hand, 184 Beneficiaries

has been paid, half of the victims are from the United States ,we still

have more 37 left to be paid the compensations of $150,000USD each.



Your particulars was mentioned by one of the Syndicates who was

arrested as one of their victims of the operations, you are hereby warned not

to communicate or duplicate this message to him for any reason what so

ever as the U.S. secret service is already on trace of the other

criminals. So keep it secret till they are all apprehended.Other victims who

have not been contacted can submit their application as well for

scrutiny and possible consideration. You can receive your compensations

payments via any of this options you Choose, DRAFT/CHEQUE PAYMENTS or

WIRE TRANSFERS.



You are advised to contact Mr.Bill Westmoore of UNION BANK PLC, as he

is our representative in Nigeria, contact him immediately for your

Cheque/International Bank Draft of USD$ 150,000,00. This funds are in a

Bank Draft for security purpose ok? so he will send it to you and you can

clear it in any bank of your choice.



Therefore, you should send him your full Name and telephone number/your

correct mailing address where you want him to send the Draft to you.



Contact Person: mr Bill Westmoore

Director,International Banking Dept

UNION BANK PLC



Email:bill-hypertecintl@ommail.com





Thanks and God bless you and your family.



Hoping to hear from you as soon as you receive your payment.



Making the world a better place.



Regards,



Mr. Koffi Annan

Former Secretary (UNITED NATIONS).

SCAMMED VICTIM/REF/PAYMENTS CODE: 02007 $150,000 USD).

Monday, January 14, 2008

Well written Bank Scam (unverified)

Kudos to Mr. Williams for taking the time to write such a long spam email. This supposed bank/inheritance scam sounds official. Of course so do the other 600 we receive from the UK and Nigeria.

Title of todays email was simple: Re: Inquiry from John Williams


Here's today's latest spam scam attempt........



Greetings,

I am John Williams,staff of Coutts & Co Private Bank London UK. I am contacting you concerning a deceased customer and an investment he placed under our banks management three years ago.I Would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail.I am contacting you independently of our investigation and no one is informed of this communication. I would like to intimate you with certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you. In the year 2004, the subject matter; came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand United States dollars, which he wished to have us turn over (invest) on his behalf.



I was the officer assigned to his case, I made numerous suggestions in line with my duties as the de-facto chief operations officer of the private banking sector then, especially given the volume of funds he wished to put into our bank. We met on numerous occasions prior to any investments being placed.I encouraged him to consider various growth funds with prime ratings. The favored route in my advice to customers is to start by assessing data on 6000 traditional stocks and bond managers and 2000 managers of alternative investments. Based on my advice, We spun the money around various opportunities and made attractive margins for our first months of operation, the accrued profit and interest stood at this point at over Two million United States Dollars, this margin was not the full potential of the fund but he desired low risk guaranteed returns on investments.



In mid 2005, he asked that the money be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Helsinki- Finland. He directed that I liquidate the funds and deposit it with a security firm. I informed him that my Bank would have to make special arrangements to have this done and in order not to circumvent due process, the bank would have to make a 9.5 % deduction from the funds to Coutts for banking and statutory charges. He complained about the charges but later came around when I explained to him the complexities of the task he was asking of us.



Cash movement across boarders has become especially strict since the incidents of 9/11. I contacted my affiliate and made the funds available to the security firm. I undertook all the processes and made sure I followed his precise instructions to the letter and had the funds deposited with the security firm. The Security Firm is a specialist private firm that accepts deposits from high net worth individuals and blue chip corporations that handle valuable products or undertake transactions that need immediate access to cash. This small and highly private organization is familiar especially to the highly placed and well-connected organizations. In line with instructions, the money was deposited with the security firm. The deceased told me he wanted the money there in anticipation of his arrival from Norway later that week. This was the last communication we had, this transpired around 25th of November 2006.

In June last year 2007, we got a call from the security firm informing us about the inactivity of that particular portfolio.This was an astounding position as far as I was concerned, given the fact that I managed the private banking sector I was the only one who knew about the deposit at the security firm, and I could not understand why the deceased had not come forward to claim his deposit. I made futile efforts to locate the deceased. I immediately passed the task of locating him to the internal investigations department of Coutts & Co Private Bank.Four days later, information started to trickle in, apparently our client was dead. A person who suited his description was declared dead of a heart attack in canne, in Southern part of France.We were soon enough to identify the body and cause of death was confirmed.



The bank immediately launched an investigation into possible surviving next of kin to alert about the situation and also to come forward to claim his estate. If you are familiar with private banking affairs, those who patronize our services usually prefer anonymity, but also some levels of detachment from conventional processes. In his bio-data form, he listed no next of kin. In the field of private banking, opening an account with us means no one will know of its existence, accounts are rarely held under a name; depositors use numbers and codes to make the accounts anonymous. This bank also gives the choice to depositors of having their mail sent to them or held at the bank itself, ensuring that there are no traces of the account and as I said, rarely do they nominate next of kin.



Private banking clients apart from not nominating next of kin also usually in most cases leave wills in our care, in this case; the deceased died without a testate. In line with our internal processes for account holders who have passed away, we instituted our own investigations in good faith to determine who should have right to claim the estate. This investigation has for the past months been unfruitful. We have scanned every continent and used our private investigation affiliate companies to get to the root of the problem. It is this investigation that resulted in my being furnished with your details as a possible relative of the deceased.



My present official capacity as the Head of Finance dictates that I am the only party to supervise the investigation and the only party to receive the results of the investigation. What this means,is that our dear late fellow died with no known or identifiable family member. This leaves me as the only person with the full picture of what the prevailing situation is in relation to the deposit and the late beneficiary of the deposit. According to practice, The Security Firm will by the end of this financial year broadcast a request for statements of claim to Coutts & Co Private Bank, failing to receive viable claims they will most probably revert the deposit back to Coutts & Co Private Bank.This will result in the money entering the Coutts & Co Private Bank accounting system and the portfolio will be out of my hands and out of the private banking division.



This will not happen if I have my way. What I wish to relate to you will smack of unethical practice but I want you to understand something. It is only an outsider to the banking world who finds the internal politics of the banking world aberrational. The world of private banking especially is fraught with huge rewards for those that occupy certain offices and oversee certain portfolios. You should have begun by now to put together the general direction of what I propose. There is Twelve Million five hundred thousand dollars. deposited in a security firm, I alone have the deposit details and they will release the deposit to no one unless I instruct them to do so. I alone know of the existence of this deposit for as far as my Bank is concerned.

The transaction with our late customer concluded when I sent the funds to the security firm, all outstanding interactions in relation to the file are just customer services and due process. The security Firm has no single idea of what’s the history or nature of the deposit. They are simply awaiting instructions to release the deposit to any party that come forward. This is the situation. This bank has spent great amounts of money trying to track this man’s family; they have investigated for months and have found no family. The investigation has come to an end.



My proposal:I now seek your permission to present you as a next of kin to the deceased, as all documentations will be carefully worked to make you the beneficiary to the funds $12.5m (Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars.) ; I am prepared to place you in a position to instruct The security Firm to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation. Upon receipt of the deposit,I am prepared to share the money with you. That is: I will simply nominate you as the next of kin and have them release the deposit to you. We share the proceeds 60/40.I would have gone ahead to ask that the funds be released to me, but that would have drawn a straight line to me and my involvement in claiming the deposit.I assure you that I could have the deposit released to you within a few days.



I will simply inform Coutts & Co Private Bank of the final closing of the file relating to the deceased. I will then officially communicate with The Security Firm and instruct them to release the deposit to you. With these two things: all is done. The alternative would be for us to have The Security Firm direct the funds to another bank with you as account holder. This way there will be no need for you to think of receiving the money from The Security Company. We can fine-tune this based on our interactions am aware of the consequences of this proposal.I ask that if you find no interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I ask that you do not be vindictive and destructive. If my offer is of no appeal to you, delete this message and forget I ever contacted you.



Do not destroy my career because you do not approve of my proposal. You may not know this but people like myself who have made tidy sums out of comparable situations run the whole private banking sector.I am not a criminal and what I do, I do not find against good conscience, this may be hard for you to understand, but the dynamics of my industry dictates that I make this move. Such opportunities only come ones' way once in a lifetime. I cannot let this chance pass me by, for once I find myself in total control of my destiny.

These chances won’t pass me by. I ask that you do not destroy my chance, if you will not work with me let me know and let me move on with my life but do not destroy me. I am a family man and this is an opportunity to provide them with new opportunities. There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth undertaking.I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here is from you refusing to work with me and alerting my bank. I am the only one who knows of this situation, good fortune has blessed you with a luck that has planted you into the center of relevance in my life. Let’s share the blessing. If you find yourself able to work with me, contact me through this email account. If you give me positive signals, I will initiate this process towards a conclusion.

I wish to inform you that should you contact me via official channels; I will deny knowing you and about this project. I repeat, I do not want you contacting me through my official phone lines nor do I want you contacting me through my official email account. Contact me only through the numbers I will provide for you and also through this email address. I do not want any direct link between you and myself. My official lines are not secured lines as they are periodically monitored to assess our level of customer care in line with our Total Quality Management Policy.Please observe this instruction religiously.



Please, again, note that I am a family man, I have a wife and children. I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to what the consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence.



Send your response to my private email:

johnwilliams44kk@yahoo.co.uk

I await your response.



John Williams.

(Coutts & Co Private Bank London UK.).



PS. THANKS BUT NO THANKS!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

FedEx Courier Scam

Here's another one where you supposedly get 5.5 million dollars if you'll pay $285 to the person in this email. I wonder why a FedEx representative wouldn't have a FedEx email address.


Attn/ My Good Friend,

Happy New Year . I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your
Confirmable Bank Draft of $5.5 Million United States Dollars, but I did
not hear from you since for a couple of weeks now. Then I went to the bank
to confirm if the draft has expired or getting near to expire and Dr.Wilson
the Director Bank of Africa told me that before the draft will get to your
hand that it will expire. So I told him to cash the $5.5 Million USD UNITED
STATES DOLLARS to cash payment to avoid losing this funds under expiration
as I will be out out of the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not
come back till ending of March 2008.

What you have to do now is to contact FEDEX COURIER SERVICES as soon as
possible to know when they will deliver your Consignment to you because
of the expiring date. For your information, I have paid for the delivering
Charge, Insurance premium.

The only money you will send to the FEDEX COURIER SERVICES to deliver your
Consignment direct to your postal Address in your country is ($285.00 US)
Two Hundred & Eighty Five United States Dollars only being Security Keeping
Fee of the Courier Company so far.Again, don't be deceived by anybody to
pay any other money except $285.00 US Dollars. I would have paid that but
they said no because they don't know when you will contact them and in case
of demurrage.

You have to contact FEDEX COURIER SERVICES now for the delivery of your
Draft with this information bellow;

Directors Name: DR. DAVIS MOORE
Companys Name:FEDEX COURIER SERVICES
Email Address: (info.fedex_courierltd207@yahoo.fr)
Tel/00229-939-15-468
FAX:00229-938-132-00

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct telephone
number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and ask them to
give you the tracking number to enable you track your package over there
and know when it will get to your address. Let me repeat again, try to contact
them as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and remember
to pay them their Security Keeping fee of $285.00 US Dollars for their immediate
action.

Note this. The FEDEX COURIER SERVICES don't know the contents of the Box.
I registered it as a BOX of Africa cloths. They did not know it contents
was money. this is to avoid them delaying with the BOX. Don't let them know
that box contents money ok.
I am waiting for your urgent response.

Yours Faithfully,

Barrister Pamela Jeffery