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BS: e-mail scam-how does it work
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Subject: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Bullfrog Jones Date: 01 May 02 - 06:11 AM I've just had another e-mail from one of those African-princes-in-exile wanting me (as a trusted foreigner) to help him invest his 55 million dollar fortune (yawn). Does anyone know what's behind this scam? Obviously, I don't want to reply (I've forwarded the thing to Yahoo, as it came from one of their accounts) but I'm just curious to know what happens if you get sucked into it. BJ |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Nigel Parsons Date: 01 May 02 - 06:27 AM Despite the 55million available, there are a few small problems. Just send me 500 dollars to grease a few palms and I'm sure we'll get it sorted. And so it continues. its hard to con an honest man ! |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Watson Date: 01 May 02 - 06:37 AM BJ They get your bank account details and you lose all of your money! |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: greg stephens Date: 01 May 02 - 07:10 AM Has it ever succeeded? I don't think I've heard a reference to someone losing their money this way. In which case, you have to admire the guys' tenacity. |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: kendall Date: 01 May 02 - 08:11 AM I got this one some time ago, and I replied thusly: Are you assholes still trying to pull this scam? You were exposed long ago." |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Rich_and_Dee Date: 01 May 02 - 08:54 AM Hi, I first came into contact with this scam in 1995, when I received a cryptic letter from Nigeria, begging my help in freeing some money for a family being targetted politically. I must admit it had me spooked. I checked around the internet and found a web site for the Justice Department which explained that this was a known scam. Seems this scam has been sort of a cottage industry originating in Nigeria. Who knows how it started. Maybe some teen tried it, then told two friends and they told two friends. By now, lots of scam artists are giving it a shot. It isn't run by any one person. I've received this thing by email several times since then. The locale changes and the circumstances change. The one constant is I'm always asked to please give them my bank account number so they can make a huge deposit into my account. I saw some figures that indicated at lease a few thousand people in the USA have fallen for this and had their accounts wiped out. Now, I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.... Rich |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: GUEST,Crazy Eddie Date: 01 May 02 - 08:59 AM Rich, How much do you want for the bridge? I represent a Nigerian Prince-in-Exile, who wants to invest some of his $55m fortune in the US. Let me have your best price, and I'll see if he's interested. Oh, don't forget to give me your bank account number, so I can send the money.... |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Steve in Idaho Date: 01 May 02 - 09:50 AM It's also a great way to collect valid e-mail addresses to sell to spammers. I've found it best to simply delete and get on with my day.
Steve |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: InOBU Date: 01 May 02 - 10:36 AM I actually take another approach, I invite the Nigerian Prince/Activist or what ever the discription of the month is to come and seek assylum in the US and I will put them up. As such, I now have one hundred and thrity seven Nigerian Princes and Activists living in my little apartment as well as three Nigerian Prime Minister's, the Editors of all the major Nigerian papers, Three Eliphants (two white ones owned by Nigerian Princes and one pink one owned by an alcoholic PM), a Zebra, Four complete Harems (with attending Eunics and other attendants) and a rather rambuncious chipanzee named after Ronald Reegan. Genie and I are cooking and cleaning for them all day and all night. If you want to help defray the costs, PM me and buy a copy of the new Sorcha Dorcha CD, "Nil Sasta ach Amadain" (only the idiot is satisfied)... Boingggg goes the plugomatic... Cheers InOBU (Larry) |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: SINSULL Date: 01 May 02 - 10:53 AM arry - You are shameless! How did you miss the chance to plug your CD on Rick Fielding's thread? I had to do it for you. SINS, who is willing to marry any of the Nigerian millionaires once he deposits the money in my Paypal account. |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: catspaw49 Date: 01 May 02 - 11:26 AM Yes Sins, the Great Plug-O-Matic has been out of action for awhile but after a good degreasing and general hosedown, he's back in all of his radiant if somewhat shameless glory! Larry, I'm glad to see the P-O-M has resurfaced in it's true splendor. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: mack/misophist Date: 01 May 02 - 11:40 AM I saw an article recently that said that over the last decade, at least 50 people have been taken by that scam. Hard to believe, isn't it. At least one was charged several thousand extra in "fees" before they cleaned out his account. |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Mr Red Date: 01 May 02 - 11:50 AM Mine seemed to subside a month back but they are resufacing. I get spam from others - all to the same address, but I saw an e-mail on-line and that is their cue that the account is active. All of a sudden the scam spam starts-up again. My message is don't look at html e-mail while your modem is switched-on or connected to the phone - sometimes they auto-redial. Have the outbox visible during "receive" swithch of modem and THEN look. The binary comination of jpg's read identifies your e-mail to them. I even got one trading on Ken Sarawewa's widow's name - he was a Nigerian political activist so effective he was executed. The number of millions were on an inverted parabola first time round. They are rising ever now! |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: greg stephens Date: 01 May 02 - 12:32 PM I always presume they dont originate in Nigeria, but inthe country of the intended victims. Don't youthink they just use Nigeria because that is acountry popularly supposed to contain a lot of corruption, and a lot of loose oil money? |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: aussiebloke Date: 01 May 02 - 01:08 PM This is the Nigerian Advance Fee Scheme, or the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Scam - also known internationally as "4-1-9" fraud, after the section of the Nigerian penal code which addresses fraud schemes. This scam has been around for long enough to become the third biggest industry in Nigeria. |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: greg stephens Date: 01 May 02 - 01:33 PM Never mind the Brooklyn Bridge,I've got some completely new CD's for sale of traditional Cumbrian fiddle tunes, for sale at £10 +£2 p&p. PM me for further details. Believe in my enduring felicitations, Prince Gregor |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: gnomad Date: 01 May 02 - 03:04 PM We get periodic warnings of this type of scam circulated thru the banking industry. It has been going on, originally by mail, for at least 20 years and yes people do fall for it, and do get cleaned out. A favourite ploy includes suggesting that you are being invited to do something just a bit illegal that will hurt the wicked and help a victim. That way many of those who fall for it dare not report the fact, and just swallow their medicine. It boils down to the old addage: if it sounds too good to be true, you'd better believe that is is. |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: The Walrus Date: 01 May 02 - 06:35 PM I've had this message several times, I passed it on to the police who apparently have a file of these for comparison purposes (so they say - it's probably the "Deleted" file). I did invite one (son of deposed politician, this time, I think) to send me the money via a cheque care of my employer and got no response (Do you think that the "Department of Trade and Industry" heading might have been the problem?) Walrus |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Gareth Date: 01 May 02 - 06:40 PM Walrus - I've passed more than a few on to the Local Fraud Squad, with copies to the regional papers. I suspect that they are inundated. PS A Matching pair of Bridges for sale, complete with t(r)oll booths. Contact Rhodri Morgan AM, The National Assembly, Cardiff. Gareth |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Burke Date: 01 May 02 - 06:49 PM I get these from time to time, but when they come to someone like me as e-mail spam you have to know they aren't for real. Getting more backgroud is sure interesting, though. This sounded like Urban Legend to me: The US Secret Service reports that in June of 1995 an American who was pursuing one of these scams was found murdered in Lagos and that numerous other persons have been reported missing. After reading more about the scam I think I can believe it. Here's a link to the Secret Service Alert. It doesn't mention deaths, but does confirm large amounts of money. Indications are that Advance Fee Fraud grosses hundreds of millions of dollars annually and the losses are continuing to escalate. In all likelihood, there are victims who do not report their losses to authorities due to either fear or embarrassment. And they do want copies of the letters to be able to track variations in the pattern. |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Paul from Hull Date: 01 May 02 - 06:56 PM *G* Good one, Walrus! |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: kendall Date: 01 May 02 - 07:26 PM Someone has a sense of humor, a Quatloo was a medium of exchange in an old Star Trek episode. |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Mr Red Date: 01 May 02 - 07:50 PM I think we can assume that Nigeria is the epicentre of these scams, but the aftershocks come from the copycats, ex-pats &/or mafia. Now about this dam, is it portable, we are having a few over-full rivers here in the old country these days and.........say it with flowers? |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Bill D Date: 01 May 02 - 08:11 PM got one two days ago....and there was a story in the paper about a guy who lost something like $100,000 to it,.... |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: DonD Date: 01 May 02 - 09:40 PM In the good old days -- before WWW --these propositions used to come regularly via snail mail and at least thety provided Nigerian postage stamps for collectors. But mostly for kids because the stamps had no real collectible value, either. |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Escamillo Date: 02 May 02 - 01:36 AM >Don't youthink they just use Nigeria because that is acountry popularly supposed to contain a lot of corruption, and a lot of loose oil money? That's what insults me most. How could them have overlooked that Argentina is a far better candidate, having experienced decades of the finest professional corruption and handling far more billions, and now involved in the Big Reverse Bank Robbery ? We have hordes of bankers who are actively making money disappear, and for whom 55 millions would be a bargain. Trust in professionals ! As soon as you receive the letter from an Argentinean banker (or local branch of globalized bankers), reply immediately. Only have the precaution of neither disclosing your account number nor sending any money, just in case. But odds are much better than in Nigeria! (How dare they?) :)) Un abrazo - Andrés, in the troubled Buenos Aires |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: GUEST,Bullfrog Jones (on the road) Date: 02 May 02 - 06:33 AM I've sent my bank details to all you guys who asked for them. Now I'm just waiting for you to steal my overdraft! |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: GUEST,JTT Date: 02 May 02 - 08:41 AM According to the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1944000/1944801.stm the Nigerian government has set up a department to fight the scam, but the government's truly awful website has no link to the department. |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Paul from Hull Date: 02 May 02 - 08:43 AM *LOL* Bullfrog!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Bill D Date: 02 May 02 - 02:06 PM just for interest, here is the one I got several days ago.. Subject: Assistance needed for acquisition of properties/treasury bills. Dear friend, I am Mrs. Sese-seko widow of late President Mobutu Sese-seko of Zaire, now known as Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I am moved to write you this letter. This was in confidence considering my present circumstance and situation. I escaped along with my husband and two of our sons Roland and Basher out of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Abidjan, Cote d'ivoire where my family and I settled, while we later moved to settled in Morroco where my husband later died of cancer disease. However, due to this situation we decided to change most of my husband's billions of dollars deposited in Swiss bank and other countries into other forms of money coded for safe purpose because the new head of state of (Dr) Mr Laurent Kabila has made arrangement with the Swiss government and other European countries to freeze all my late husband's treasures deposited in some european countries. Hence, my children and I decided laying low in Africa to study the situation till when things gets better. Like now that president Kabila is dead and the son taking over (Joseph Kabila). One of my late husband's chateaux in Southern France was confiscated by the french government, and as such I had to change my identity so that my investment will not be traced and confiscated. I have deposited the sum Nineteen Million Five Hundred and Twenty Nine Thousand United State Dollars (us$19,529,000,00.) With a security company for safe keeping. What I want you to do is to indicate your interest that you can assist us in receiving the money on our behalf, so that I can introduce you to my son (Roland) who has the out modalities for the claim of the said funds. I want you to assist in investing this money, but I will not want my identity revealed. I will also want to acquire real/landed properties and stock in multi-national companies and to engage in other safe and non-speculative investments as advise by your good self. May I at this point emphasize the high level of confidentiality, which this our upcoming project demands, and hope you will not betray the trust and confidence, which I repose in you. In conclusion, if you want to assist us, my son (Roland) shall divulge to you all briefs regarding this project, tell you where the funds are currently being maintained and also discuss remuneration for your services. For this reason kindly furnish us your contact information, that is your personal telephone and fax number for confidential purpose and acknowledge receipt of this mail using the above email address. Yours sincerely, Mrs. Mariam M. Sese-seko. |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: GUEST Date: 02 May 02 - 02:11 PM Bill, Could you post Mrs. Sese-seko's email address please? I'd like to help her out. |
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Subject: RE: BS: e-mail scam-how does it work From: Steve in Idaho Date: 03 May 02 - 09:41 AM Geez - and Ed McMahon is an honest peddler. People really fall for this stuff?? Too funny - - -
Steve |