Crime Online

What an unlikely combination – McDonalds and BP! I wouldn’t believe it even if it was true.

The African crooks often try new tactics out to see if they work. This bogus iPhone offer is one trying to profit from Apple’s product popularity.

It is poorly written. They don’t use Apple email addresses. They say they are from Apple and then go on to say they are major distributors.

Personally I don’t think they will have much success with it, but some people may fall for it.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: APPLE IPHONE COMPANY
Date: Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 06:54
Subject: ATTANTION FOR SPECIAL OFFER
To: APPLE IPHONE COMPANY

APPLE IPHONE

Floor 4-5 ampang plaza jaya,
51000 kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

I am Leo Dickson the consulting/marketing Manager of Apple i phone company .

kindly to announce for promotion,special offer of Apple i Pad and i phone 4GS,3GS with out standing qualities up to 64GB,32GB ,16GB storage and more . Please take note for the future update.
Thank for your concern.

Cheer with us on Apple i Pad!,i phone with special price timing promotion and offers as the most powerful and elegant media player, E-Book reader,gaming machine, life organizer,voice control,videos,news paper look ,media library and high definition quality screen connected with wi-fi, and latest speed protocols.

We are major distributors/links for genuinely,reliable and security purpose for those who wish to purchase from direct manufacture/producer of Apple i phone,about this exclusive news ,information’s on sale’s promotion and bonanza for special pricing in qualities and quantities supplies at your office/home.And special discounts awaiting for a potentials customer that will benefits from this offers,to view our product WWW.apple.com

It has one year international warranty after purchase in needs of demand and supply at your door post through Courier ,DHL,FEDEX /Shipping.Below is our contact email: appleiphonesalesmanager@gmail

Thanks

From Leo Dickson
Sales/Marketing Manager,
Apple I phone.
Email:appleiphonesalesmanager@gmail

It happens every time there is a major catastrophe in our world. African crooks use the story to dupe people into parting with their money. This one neatly adds the Lybian conflict with the Japanese tragedy unfolding on the TV.

So this fellow, who calls himself Harry, says he needs someone to transfer some money for Saif Gaddafi. Of which, the helping person will get 30%.

I wonder how long it takes until Harry asks for money ……..

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Mr. Harry Burnham(Red Cross) <test@hgreporters.com>
Date: 2011/3/14
Subject: Lets Help the People of Japan!!!
To:

Dear Partner/Colleague

Please do not be offended if this message comes to you as I ought to have sought your consent and approval before e-mailing this proposal. I acted as I did due to the importance and urgency of this business. Whichever way you may look at it, let it please you to respond quickly positively. So that we can move to the next step. I am Harry Burnham, personal Assistant to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi as you know what is going on in Libya with the on going crisis and civil war. Since the Arab league have agreed for a no fly zone and with sanctions been put in place and most accounts belonging to the government seized, we need your help.

We have about US$88M(Eighty Eight Million Dollars)in cash to move, we want to move this money now to you before it is late. We have a secure way of moving the funds, we will just say that it is a donation for the people of Japan because of the tsunami earthquake and damage. Will the funds be safe with you and can we trust you?

You will be paid handsomely, nothing less than 30% of the total amount. 20% will be donated to the Red cross for the people of Japan. I will need your contact details, like private telephone,email address, and a delivery address. That is an address that the funds will be safe till you bank them for investments etc. But banking has to be done in your name. I hope you understand how important this is to us. Once you accept i will send you more details and the plan.

Yours Faithfully,

Mr. Harry Burnham.

Just like any other Blog, Crime Online gets it’s share of comment spam. Most of it is the usual type pushing anything and posting some kind of comment which has nothing to do with the blog at all.

Now and then we get comment spam from the Africans themselves and the one we got today was a good example of a typical loan scam. We traced the post to an African Internet provider.

It’s in Portuguese but it basically says the same as all loan scams, cheap loans from 20000 to 20 million US Dollars.

One point to note, is the fact that the Africans often like to make reference to anything religious. They often use the title of “Reverend” to give the impression that you are dealing with a man of God. Here they make a quote of trusting in God to give us great gifts. The gifts of course, are your money in their pockets.

Of course, the Africans are only after fees. A loan, as such, never gets paid out.

Orignal Text:

Favor fornecer as seguintes informações, se interessou.

Nome completo:
Sexo:
Endereço:
País:
Valor do Empréstimo Necessário:
Duração do empréstimo:
Telefone: Celular:
Alguma vez você já se aplica para o empréstimo antes:
Renda mensal:
Contato: sir.reskcadoloanword@hotmail.com

Nota: Por favor, responda a este e-mail ( sir.reskcadoloanword@hotmail.com)
Quando ele não parece seguir o seu caminho, sempre sei que Deus tem um plano para you.If Coloque a sua confiança nele para lhe dar uma grande gifts.We nem sempre sabem o que os planos de Deus são para us.We só sei que seus caminhos não são os nossos caminhos, mas seus caminhos são sempre melhor.

Esta mensagem pode conter informação confidencial para uso Destinatário (s) acima, e pode conter informações sigilosas. Se você não o destinatário ou a pessoa responsável para o destinatário da transferência, por favor, note que a leitura, difundir reprodução ou divulgação desta mensagem é estritamente proibida. Se você

Você recebeu esta mensagem por engano, por favor avise-nos imediatamente por uma mensagem de resposta e excluir imediatamente a mensagem original.

Obrigado.

Translation:

Please provide the following information if interested.

Full Name:
Gender:
Address:
Country:
Loan Amount Needed:
Duration of loan:
Phone: Cell:
Have you ever apply for the loan before:
Monthly income:
Contact: sir.reskcadoloanword @ hotmail.com

Note: Please reply to this email (sir.reskcadoloanword @ hotmail.com)

When he does not seem to go your way, always know that God has a plan for you.If Put your trust in him to give you a great gifts.We not always know what God’s plans are for us.We just know that their ways are not our ways, but their paths are always better.

This message may contain confidential information for use Recipient (s) above and may contain sensitive information. If you not the recipient or the person responsible for the recipient’s transfer, please note that reading, disseminating or reproducing dissemination of this message is strictly prohibited. If you You received this message in error, please notify us immediately by a reply message and immediately delete the original message.

Thank you.

In contrast to a lot of the 419 emails which reach us, this one is written in a good standard of English. It does put on that “official” air that the African crooks like to use, but it is still a scam email just the same.

—–Original Message—–

From: MORGAN PHILLIPS ESQ
Sent: Wed, Jun 2, 2010 11:07 am
Subject: RE:SECOND NOTIFICATION 3/5/2010

Morgan Phillips Esq.
LONDON, ENGLAND

I am in receipt of your response to the notification.

Kindly note that the notice you received has been prompted by the information contained in the WILL of the deceased. I stand to gain nothing in this matter, other than fulfilling the obligations bestowed on me by the late Mr. Richard Moore to ensure that his wishes are carried out as contained in his WILL. The value of the estate bequeathed to you is about $6.750.000,00. The copy of the Will shall be made available to you after an application of claims has been filed at the Bristol probate registry for security reasons.

The Will has to be executed before you can claim the bequest made to you. In order to execute the WILL, I need you to reconfirm your full names, current address, and phone numbers, with which I would process and obtain a probate order from the Probate Registry division of Her Majesty’s Courts Services that will enable you claim your money from the finance institution were it is lodged.

Do get back to me with your details to enable me commence the processing. And do call me for discussions on receipt of this mail.

Yours faithfully,
Morgan Phillips Esq
+44 704-574-3898

Some time or another, it had to happen. I not only receive a whole pile of emails from African crooks each day, now it looks as one of them is using my name in one of the scam emails. Or maybe one of them is just pulling a prank?

The point is, this comment poster “Ahmad” sent in a copy of an email which quotes my name as a barrister (which I am not) to spin his tail.

I reckon he/she/they will have bad luck because I am just too well known on the web. And if anybody searches for my name they will find Crime Online in association with it. They will land here.

The person who posted this is most definitely somewhere in Africa, or  maybe  Mauritius, and not in Saudia Arabia, which he is trying to suggest. So I will have to consider him/her/them as 419 style crook/s, won’t I?

New comment on your post #20 “At last! My very own inheritance e-mail …”
Author : ahmad eissa
E-mail : ah_eassa@yahoo.com
URL    : http://www.aheissa.sa

Comment:
Attn:Wricks,

I apologize for intruding into your privacy, especially by contacting you through this means for a business transaction of this magnitude, but due to its seriousness and urgency it, therefore, became necessary for me to seek for your assistance.I am Barrister Michael Holdcroft, a counsel to late David Wricks, a national of your country Who used to work with shell development company in lome togo, He lost his life in a ghastly motor accident on the 21st of April 2004 together with his wife and their only daughter were involved in a car accident along nouvissi express Road. Before his sudden and mysterious death, he deposited a sum worth (5.5MILLION US dollars) with a bank here in Lome-Togo . I knew this because all the legal proceedings was duly carried out by my humble self. After his death three years ago, I made several approaches to your embassy to help me locate any of his relatives so as to come and stand as the next of kin to my late client in order to have this huge sum transferred in his or her bank account.

But all my effort proved abortive.After several unsuccessful attempts in locating any of his relations and the latest ultimatum given to me by the Bank, mandating me to provide my client’s next of kin within the 4 weeks or I have the money confisticated, which I wouldn’t live to see it happen, hence my decision to contact you so that I can present you as the next of kin to my late client. All I demand from you is your honest co-operation so that this fund {5.5MILLION US dollars} can be transferred into any account of your choice within the shortest time possible.For your assistance and co-operation, I have decided to have the money shared as follows; 40% for you, 60% for me.

What I introduced to you might be a smack of an unethical practice but this is a once in a life time opportunity that is capable of making things better for us and moreover, if I fail to present my late client’s next of kin in couple of weeks, the truth is that this money would not be taken by the government or by some greedy officials of the bank and I would not fold my arms and watch this happen hence my decision to contact you. I also want to use this medium to assure you that this transaction is 100% risk free and my position as the counsel to the late depositor of the fund, it has been legally planned to avoid any hitch or breach of law. Every information that will back you up as the next of kin to my late client shall be given to you as soon as I have your consent.
I look forward to receiving your positive response soonest.Reply via my private email: michael_h@rocketmail.com
Regards,
Barrister Michael Holdcroft.

Technorati-Tags: michael holdcroft, crime online

If you have seen the Khodorkovsky e-mails, then you know what this one is about. Platon Lebedev is another billionaire put in jail in Russia. I found the last sentence sounds like a James Bond movie:

If you know you can do this, then contact me via private email: natlebdev@list.ru so that i can furnish you with more details but if for any reason you choose not to assist me, please destroy this mail and forget I ever contacted you because of our safety.

———- Forwarded message ———- From: U.L <natlebde@bk.ru> Date: 2009/5/22 Subject: I await your response To: natlebde@bk.ru Good day, I know this mail may rather come to you as a surprise but had no other alternative than to contact you in this manner due to a matter of necessity and urgency for the relocation of my kids and me. Before i proceed further it is better for me to introduce myself; i am Mrs.Natalia Lebedev, the wife of Russian multi billionaire Mr. Platon Lebedev (former director of Group MENATEP, Russia) that was arrested unjust fully by the putin regime for his involvement in the YOKUS company crisis in 2003. You can read more story on this in the below website: http://www.robertamsterdam.com/2007/10/platon_lebedev_statement.htm As a result of the false allegations, all joint our accounts were frozen and properties confiscated except for a profiling amount of one hundred million United States dollars in cash, properly insured and sealed under the UN diplomatic core which my husband succeeded in depositing as consignment with a European depository firm before his arrest. Now that i am currently having problems with Authorities over my husband present circumstance, i had to source for a God fearing individual to stand as the beneficiary of the above quoted sum and also make immediate preparations to relocate me and my kids once the funds are secured. For your assistance in embarking on this task for us, you will receive thirty-percent of the total funds once the transaction is completed. Please note that this transaction is legitimate and all documents backing the funds will be provided upon your readiness to proceed. If you know you can do this, then contact me via private email: natlebdev@list.ru so that i can furnish you with more details but if for any reason you choose not to assist me, please destroy this mail and forget I ever contacted you because of our safety. Thank you very much Yours truly, Mrs. Natalia Lebedev. Private Email: natlebdev@list.ru

What you should know is, banks cannot confiscate any funds residing in bank accounts held with them. So “Philip” is lying to you from the start.

Other points which show that what he is telling you is a farce are,

1. the gmail and AOL email addresses,
2. Amsterdam is a main area where “Nigerian” crooks operate from in Europe and
3. what he is suggesting is illegal and is called embezzlement.

He is actually being very stingy, offering only 20% …..

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: MR PHILIP PRICE <infoprice@gmail.com>
reply-to: infophilip_price@aol.nl
Date: 2009/5/19
Subject: Hello,
To:

Hello,

I seek your assistance on a business transaction that will be of mutual benefits.
Please, read below the details of this transaction and what is required of you to get this transaction started:

Mr. Andrew Parker was my client for over a decade. He died of cardiac arrest in 2002. He had a deposit in the sum of US$45M with Delta Lloyd Finance Amsterdam.

The bank contacted me as Mr. Andrew Parker’s attorney to get his next of kin. I have not been able to get any of his relations. The bank now has the right to confiscate the funds if I do not produce his next of kin soonest. This is the reason why I contacted you so you can act as the next of kin.

If you reply this email by sending me your full name, address, telephone and fax number, I will prepare and send to you a memorandum of understanding which will have to be duly signed by both parties (your good self and I) as
an agreement, so as to protect the shares of both parties and to be in order by laws of your country and the laws of my country.

After the signing of the MOU, I will then email to you the death certificate of Andrew Parker. I will prepare Andrew Parker’s Will in your name. With the Will, I will then get the letter of administration from the probate office thereby making you the next of kin and the bona fide beneficiary of the funds.
I will forward the Will and the letter of administration to the Bank in Europe.
They will then contact you to come to their office to claim the said funds.
When you get to their office in Europe, you sign the funds release documents, they will then transfer the sum of US$45M into your nominated account.

When the funds are transferred into your nominated account, I will then travel to meet with you to share the proceeds. I will take 80% and you will take 20%.

I will exhort you to not only treat this transaction with the gravity it deserves, but also with urgency. May I reiterate that the importance of the confidentiality and speed in this transaction cannot be over emphasized.

Hence in bolstering of confidentiality you are advised against discussing with anyone or your bank the expectation of the funds until I advise you otherwise.
Please treat as urgent.

Send the information ASAP as time is of the essence.
Thank you and God bless.

Philip Price LLB

This week I received a message about an African banker who wants to transfer a few million dollars to my account – It came from the New York Times

The eradication of poverty in Africa is certainly a noble cause. But, ….

I am sure that most people don’t see that when they read this e-mail. The 25 million USD hits you in the eye, even before you get to the “facilitate eradication of poverty in Africa” part.

Just reading this e-mail, shows that African crooks often do have a good vocabulary – facilitate and tantamount are not words you see in every day language.

One small point shows that crooks don’t often think things through, or maybe they are targeting the US market, in the EU the currency is Euros and not Dollars.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: European Social Fund <eusocialfund15@me.com>
Date: 2009/2/20
Subject: EU AND UNO Developmental Projects.
To: recipients <Undisclosed>

European Union Social Fund.
Nussbaumstrasse 49, CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
PHONE NUMBER: +41 796 475491

You have been chosen by the European Union Social Fund in conjunction with United Nations Organization as a recipient of $25,000.000.00 (twenty five million US dollars) Social Fund to facilitate eradication of poverty in Africa.

Beneficiaries of this fund are hereby directed to embark on grass root developmental projects in Africa which will enhance their standard of living. Your acknowledgment of this mail is tantamount to acceptance of this voluntary humanitarian assistance.

Yours faithfully.
Schmid Merez.