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For the last 4 years or so, Crime Online was hosted by Blogger. I decided to move the Blog to a self hosted Wordpress blog because of the improved management and control. Most of all I felt it would improve navigating and finding infomation for you.

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Learn how the 419 and Lottery Scams works

The Internet has brought a whole host of new products and services in to our world. It has also enables us to contact people and friends almost instantly.

Unfortunately all of the innovations which we like to use are also used by unscrupulous people who make a living out of cheating us out of our money.

It is important that ordinary people over the world are able to recognise these messages and how the scams work. Armed with this kind of knowledge you do not fall for these stories.

All of the e-mails posted here are fraudulent or scam e-mails. If you get one, delete it. Believe me, it’s not worth the trouble answering it.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Michael Holdcroft
18. April 2008

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11 Responses to “Welcome to “Crime-Online””
  1. Gaby says:

    Hallo…We got this E-Mail today at our family E-mail adresse…Maybe this is also one of this fraud ones…i am not going to awnser this anyhow..i live in germany and I dont think this is for real…

    National UK Lottery
    Headquarter United Kingdom

    RE:OFFICIAL WINNING NOTIFICATION

    Dear Lucky Winner,

    This is to officially inform you that you have been selected for a cash prize of GBP£1,200,000.00 from the just concluded annual final draws of UK National Lottery online promo, and your e-mail address emerged as one of the winners in this category “B” with the following winning information:
    REF No: UKNL/74-A0802742008
    BATCH No: 22-1356-4096-988
    TICKET No: 074/07/ZY569
    SERIAL No :5368/02
    LUCKY No: 88-13-65-37-10-83

    which won you a cash prize of GBP£ 2,000,000.00,in our year 2008 National Lottery programme held on sunday, March 28th,2008.

    We wish to equally inform you that All participants emails for the online version were selected randomly from emails list of 950,000 e-mail addresses of individual and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search from the internet.

    For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning informations confidential till your claim is processed and your money remitted to you.Please be warned.

    To file for your claims of GBP£ 2,000,000.00, please contact our authorised claim agent with below contact cordinates;

    Name: Mr. Charles Edward
    Tel: 00 44 7031 938 389
    Fax: 00 44 7006-044-122
    Email:coleeruss@live.com

    PLEASE NOTE: That due to the mixed-up of numbers,you are strictly adviced to contact your claims agent with your prize winning informations as stated above. Moreso do endeavour to contact our agent with the following:
    1. Draw date: 28/ 03/ 2008
    2. YOUR FULL NAMES
    3. CONTACT ADDRESS
    4. TEL NUMBERS
    5. FAX NUMBERS
    6. NATIONALITY
    7. AMOUNT WON.

    Remember, all winning in this second category must be claimed not later than 30th of Apil 2008.Note: Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.

    Your’s faithfully,

    Mr. Rosely Carlos
    Cordinator National UK Lottery

  2. Michael Holdcroft says:

    Hi Gaby,

    vielen dank für dein Kommentar :-)

    Yes, this is a typical lottery fraud e-mail. The UK National Lottery is used regularly as a front.

    As you probably expect, you never get any prize money. Instead you end up paying imaginary fees. That’s what it is all about, to get you to pay them and not the other way round.

    Michael

  3. Daniela Stankovich says:

    Hello Michael Holdcroft,
    I got this E-Mail today (incl. attaced pic of woman) …Maybe this is also one of this fraud ones..I live in Bulgaria and I dont think this is for real…

    Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:33:56 EEST
    From: tesydiane1946@yahoo.co.uk
    Subject: Hoping that my letter will finds you in good conditions.

    Hi My Dear,

    Firstly I thank you for your responses to my letter En-line with my message I sent, so how is life over there in your country? I hope that you are in atmosphere of peace and love? I am very happy to read your mail today, please do not be surprised or get offended for receiving this message from me, It just that I have been obliged to lay a mere trust on you due to my situation here in the refugees camp. Having searched through the internet from where I get your email address I strongly believe in my heart that you must be honest and sincere person for me to disclose my life secrets so that you will render your full help and assistance towards me.

    Let me first of all introduce my self to you, and I will require the best of your honesty after you knowing about me and whom that I am, because I will really like us to have a good relationship in-spite of anything because I have this feeling that you must be honest, trusted person and you will not betray me.

    I decided to contact you because of the urgency of my situation here in the refugees camp and after reading your mail today I whole-heatedly decided to let you know more and more about me, Who knows? Maybe you will be my savior, from this conditions that I have found myself. My name is Miss THeresa Diane, am 22yrs old from origin Ivory Coast, I am the only daughter of Late Dr. Reginald Diane. The Manager and Chief Executive of (De Blessed Alofa Industries Ltd) My late father is one of the richest business men in my country, in anything pertaining to gold and diamonds, but he was killed by the rebels and the greedy fellows in my country during the war, on his way down to the village with my two younger brothers.

    Therefore I am constrained to contact you because of the maltreatment I am receiving from my step mother. She planned to take away all my late father’s treasury and properties from me since the unexpected death of my beloved Father. Meanwhile I wanted to escape from Africa to any where in the world but she hides away my international passport and other traveling documents. Luckily she did not discover where I kept my father’s File which contains important documents. So I decided to run to the refugee’s camp where I am presently seeking asylum under the Private charity organization for the Refugee here in Republic of Senegal.
    I wish to contact you personally for a long term relationship that may lead us to somewhere better if we work well on it. Here is the telephone number of the Rev office in the refugees camp, (+ 221_77_353_3713), please anytime you called just tell them that you want to speak with me so that they will send for me at the women hostels to come and answer your call. In this refugees camp we have about 3 different hostels, we have one for men, for women and for little children’s, all are victims of wars circumstances from all over Africa, honestly Life here in the refugees camp is very lonely but I prays to move out from here as soon as you help me, I have prayed over and over before deciding to disclose all about me to you because I do not know you very well, but my conditions here has made me to speak out or I keep it and die in silence, that is exactly what I am trying to do before I waste my precious life here for nothing.

    My late father of blessed memory deposited the sum of amounts (Nine Million Seven Hundred Thousand US Dollars) in a Bank Europe with my name as the next of kin. However, I shall forward you with the necessary documents on confirmation of your acceptance to assist me for the transfer of the money to your bank accounts on my behalf, because I want you to help me in an investment with the money and I will like to complete my studies in your country, because I was in 1st year in the university in my country when the crisis started so we have to move out from Ivory Coast. to other neighboring countries to avoid brutal attacks from the rebels. After the transfer you will arrange for my trip joining you over there for us to share these feelings face to face. I have tried all my possible best to explain my present conditions here to the bank in Europe but they told me that my status here in Senegal as a refugees does not permit me to such transactions, unless I will look for someone to help me,(might be my relatives, trusted friends or partners).

    Frankly speaking, I prefer disclosing my secrets to a stranger because he/she will not have a mind to cheat me or betray me, and I know that you people in the advanced world have full knowledge, understanding and also God fearing, not to be compared with people here, I am very careful about my life that is why I cannot be able to let anybody here know about my fathers wealth or to assist me, because they might kill me or find a way to betray me, that is why I am placing my sincere trust on you by disclosing everything with all my hearts, because I believes in my hearts that you will keep this confidential for my safety reasons here, I sincerely want to let you know that we will invest the money together, or if you don’t intend staying with me then It will be my pleasure to compensate you with 15% of the total money for your efforts and services, then the rest balance shall be my investment capital. This is the reason why I decided to contact you, please all communications should be through this email address only for confidential reasons.

    As soon as I received your positive response showing your interest to help me, I will put things into action immediately. I will give you the contacts of the bank in Europe so that you will contact them immediately for them to transfer the money to your bank accounts on my behalf, please this is a legitimate money and the bank is also aware that I am the next of kin to the accounts because I have send to them the documents which I collected from my fathers file, the deposit certificate and the will of my father which bears my name as the next of kin and they have also confirmed it and advise me that I should look for someone to help me facilitate these transfer, since I am still in the refugees camp. In the light of the above, I shall appreciate an urgent message indicating your ability and willingness to handle this relationship and transaction sincerely, because I am too young to handle it and also considering my status here as a refugees.

    I’m waiting for your urgent and positive reply, please do keep this informations only to your self because is all about my life, my future and my everything. I am on my kneels in the name of god, do not disclose this secrets to anybody until I come over to your country, after the money has been transferred successfully to your bank accounts on my behalf. Meanwhile I want you to call me like I said because I have a lots tell you.

    I have attached my picture for you ok. Have a blessed day.

    Love from
    Tesy.

  4. Michael Holdcroft says:

    Daniela,

    yes, this is a fraud e-mail. I have seen it a few times over the last couple of years.

    This message is one of the longer ones, which is unusual. The core story however, is of a typical “poor orphan with a fortune and needs someone to help” kind.

    The funny thing about it is the fact that these stories are all based in one of the West African countries with the Ivory Coast at the top of the list.

    Many thanks for posting it here. It will help others to recognise it as fraud.

    Michael

  5. Chakraborti says:

    Hi Michael

    I got this E-Mail in my personal mail ID …I am sure this is bogus & fraud…

    — On Mon, 28/4/08, SONANGOL OIL CORPORATION wrote:

    From: SONANGOL OIL CORPORATION
    Subject: SONANGOL OIL JOB EMPLOYMENT.
    To:
    Date: Monday, 28 April, 2008, 3:32 PM

    Human Resource Department
    Merevale House
    Brompton Place
    London SW3 1QE
    United Kingdom.
    Phone:+447011132486
    Ref: 01/006/HRD/SGPLC

    SONANGOL OIL CORPORATION.
    The global oil,gas and petrochemical giant has started
    drilling for oil in Angola’s $3.5 billion kizomba C and D
    project,322 kilometers offshore.The project,the largest
    offshore Africa,came on stream about few months ahead of
    schedule.

    SONANGOL OIL CORPORATION has vacancy for reputable an
    qualified individuals, as we are about to embark on a
    project which will require expatriates in the following
    profession. engineering,instrumentation,information
    technology and environmental/safety sciences,doctors,
    nurses and accountants.
    Services of expatriates who are trained and skilled in
    project management and contract administration are also
    required including those in the administrative and
    management status.

    JOB LOCATIONS
    - Angola, Africa.
    - Europe .

    METHOD OF APPLICATION
    - All interested candidates should reply via email with
    updated Resumes
    (CV).

    - Interested applicants must specify job location.
    - Only applicants who possess the required qualifications
    will be
    short-listed whence consequently contacted.
    All Resumes should be forwarded to:Mr Richard Wainwright.

    sonangol_recruitment2078@yahoo.dk

    HR Department
    Recruitment Section
    London(UK).
    Regards,

    Mcvelly Richard.
    SONANGOL OIL CORPORATION.

  6. Michael Holdcroft says:

    Yes, this kind of e-mail crops up occasionally. The crooks are targeting professionals who normally have a good income.

    People applying for these jobs never get signed on, but they are presented with various fees.

    That’s the whole point behind this and other similar e-mails.

    Get them interested enough to want to sign on and hit them for fees as long as possible.

    It’s just another way of getting other people’s money with out any risk.

    Michael

  7. yolie says:

    HELLO I RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING EMAIL THIS IS THE 3RD. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

    ABSA BANK &nb sp;
    TodayTomorrowTogether &nbs p; JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
    ABSA Bank Limited/ Beperk, Reg No. REGD.NO.1986/004794/06
    ABSA TOWERS
    170 MAIN STREET
    JOHANESSBURG, 2001

    Dear Sir\Madam,

    I hope that you are well today. I am the Manager Audit/Claims department in ABSA bank of South Africa .
    With due respect, I decided t o contact you over this business financial transaction worth the sum of FIFTEEN MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ($1 5,200,000.00) in other to entrust this fund into your bank account.

    This is an ABANDONED FUND, which I found out to belongs to one of our customers, ANDREAS SCHRANNER (German) who died along with his entire family on 25th July 2000 in a plane crash disaster, I was very fortune to meet the deceased file when I was arranging the old and abandoned customers file of 2000-2006 in other to submit to the management accordingly for documentation purposes.
    Following the South African banking policy, it was obviously indicated and signed lawfully that if such Funds remains unclaimed after Ten years without somebody being a foreigner applies and claim the Fund as the next of kin, the Fund will be transferred into the Government Treasury as an unclaimed.

    This will cause other staff of my bank to notice that the owner of the Fund has died. So the request of you as a foreigner is necessarily needed for the claim because a citizen of South Africa cannot come forward to claim this Fund since the law does not pave a way for an indigene to claim such fund. Since the real beneficiary of the fund died, my company is expecting the next of kin to apply for the release of this fund for him or her without delay, but unfortunately I learnt through the investigations which I carried out that there is nobody behind who can come and claim the fund, I need you to act fast so that we do not lose this once-in-a-life-time- opportunity.

    You shall provide me with your details so that you and I can claim this money, so that we can raise an affidavit of fact that you are the beneficiary of this fund in order for us to m ove it to your bank account where it will be comfortable for you and me.
    SIXTY FIVE PERCENT (65%) of the total fund will be for me. THIRTY PERCENT (30%) for you for all your efforts. five PERCENT (5%) will be for unexpected expenses, which may occur during the process, thereafter you will help me to visit your country for sharing the money according to the percentage indicated above.

    For the immediate transfer of this fund into your bank account as arranged, please note that you should keep this business secret until you confirm the transfer into the bank account which you will provide, and there is NO RISK in this busin ess. All necessary documents related to this and which will prove that you made a legal claim of inheritance shall be provided. Please view details of the plane crash on the website below.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
    It is true that I prayed before I was pushed forward to contact you for this business but I want you to also assure me solemnly that you are a trustworthy, reliable, honest and capable to avoid cheating me in this business.
    If you are really sure of your integrity, reply me through my alternative email box (steve_absabank@writesoon.com) for more detailed information.

    Yours faithfully,

    Dr. Steven Booysens
    (DIRECTOR)
    +27 79 268 4400

  8. Michael Holdcroft says:

    Yolie, this is an Andreas Schranner fraud e-mail. You will find enough of those here.

    Michael

  9. Iman says:

    hai Mrs.Rose Wood…

    I got this E-Mail in my personal mail ID
    That e-mail like this :
    UK NATIONAL LOTTERY HEADQUARTERS:
    P O Box 1010 Liverpool, L70 1NL UNITED KINGDOM

    ATTENTION: WINNER

    This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash prize of £500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand (British
    Pounds) held on the 10th of May, 2008 in London UK. The selection process was carried out through random
    selection in Our computerized email selection system (ess) from a database of over 21,000 e-mail addresses drawn from which you were
    selected.

    Contact our fiduciary agent for claims with:

    Agents Name: Mr.James Keegan
    Email:claims_jameskeegandept01@hotmail.com
    Tell: +44 702 403 2734
    +44 702 40 32679

    REF No: UKNL-L/200-26937
    BATCH No: 2005MJL-01
    TICKET No: 20511465463-7644

    Fill the below:
    1. Name: 2. Address 3. Marital Status: 4. Occupation: 5. Age:
    6. Sex: 7. Nationality: 8. Country of Residence: 9. Telephone Number:

    Congratulation!!
    Sincerely,
    Mrs.Rose Wood.

    —————————————————————–
    Find the home of your dreams with eircom net property
    Sign up for email alerts now http://www.eircom.net/propertyalerts

    It’s real or just my dream????
    I really confuse to write the e-mail….
    Because I got £500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand (British
    Pounds)

  10. Iman says:

    Please contact me again if the e-mail is right and real….
    Please,,,Mrs.Rose Wood or Michael Holdcroft or someone else… To contact me again…

    Sent me e-mail again if it real and right….

    Imans last blog post..Wow, I’m one of 50 million!

  11. Michael Holdcroft says:

    Iman,

    sorry to disappoint you, but this is not a real message. None of the lottery companies send prize notifications per e-mail.

    Michael

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