Crime Online

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

 YouTube: Play Now | Play in Popup | Direct Link

Over the last months a new kind of Advance Fee Fraud e-mail has been seen. The global financial crisis and the sub prime problems which started it all, have obviously created the basis for e-mails offering cheap credit up to 100 miliion USD.

 Don't fall for these loan offers!: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is a rehash of the “we have embezzeled money from our company and need someone to help transfer the loot”.

Now if I had done that, I certainly would have organised the transfer before I had actually stolen the money, instead of posting this message out to thousands on the Internet afterwards.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: george owen
Date: Mon, Aug 25, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Subject: Transfer Of $35.5m
To: georgeowen1@live.com

From: Dr. George Owen.

I am Dr.George Owen, Director of Project , South Africa Department of Minerals and Energy. I am making this contact with you based on the Committee need for an individual/company who is willing to assist us with a solution to a money transfer.

This amount $35.5m represents the balance of the total contract Value Executed on behalf of Department mineral resources and Energy by a foreign contracting firm, which we the officials over-invoiced deliberately, of which the actual sum has been paid.

Should you be willing to assist us in the transaction? Your share of the sum will be 25% of the $35.5million, 70% for us and 5% for taxation and miscellaneous expenses. To enable us commence,provide your personal telephone/fax number . Contact me through my alternative e-mail address: gowen011@hotmail.com

Best Regards,
Dr.George Owen.

Tel:+27 787048899

George Owen, Advance Fee Fraud

Regardless of which Social Network you may belong to, you will eventually get message like this from an African crook:

It’s surprising, but there are a lot of cancer e-mails posted here with one thing in common. And that is, the first name is Jennifer.

Just do a search on “Jennifer” and you will see how many have been posted in the past.

Remarkable……

———- Forwarded message ———- 
From: Mrs Jennifer Peters <abogadopedro@ozu.es>
Date: 2008/5/17
Subject: Remember To Read This Mail and Contact My Attorney.
To:

Hello Dear,

My name is Mrs.Jennifer Peters; I am a dying woman who has decided to
donate what I have to you/church. I am 59 years old and I was diagnosed for
cancer for about 2 years ago immediately after the death of my husband who
has left me everything he worked for and because the doctors told me I
will not live longer than some weeks because of my health idecided to
WILL/donate the sum of $2 500 000 Two million five hundred thousand
dollars to you for the good work of humanity and also to help the
motherless and less privilege and also for the assistance of the widows.
I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly and
please use the funds well and always extend the good work to others.

Here is the Contact information of my Attorney below:
Orbin Law Firm
Abogado De Justicia
Calle Embajadores,106.2,Madrid,Spain
Notario & Tribunal
Sr Pedro Antonio
Phone/Fax:+34-693-220-723
Email:abogadopedro@aim.com

and tell him that I have WILLED $2 500 000.00
to you and I have also notified him. I know I don’t know you but I have
been directed to do this. Thanks and God bless.

NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the
task is accomplished as i don’t want anything that will jeopardize my last
wish.
From Mrs.Jennifer Peters.

Tags: 419Scam, Advance Fee Fraud, Terminal Illness, Jennifer Peters

This one came in from 2 different e-mail accounts:
okey_patrick2@Gazeta.pl and
okey_patrick21@Gazeta.pl

Tags: 419Scam, Advance Fee Fraud, Patrick Okey

The FEDEX mail has been coming in quite regularly over the last few weeks.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: iscolljonas14 Gazeta.pl <iscolljonas14@gazeta.pl>
Date: Sat, May 17, 2008 at 4:50 AM
Subject: FedEx Diplomatic Delivery
To: iscolljonas14@gazeta.pl

Dear Friend,

I have paid for the delivery of your consignment by the FedEx company Benin Republic. They promised that your consignment will leave immediately they  received your re-confirmed informations to avoid wrong delivery. Now contact them with your full informations through their email address (fedexshipping_diplomatic_courier@yahoo.fr
Phone number +229 9394-9986.
Here are the requested informations needed by the Director Of The FedEx Diplomatic Division which they instructed me to email you to provide while contacting them for easier identification when the diplomat arrives in your country:
Kindly re-confirm to them the followings:
Your Full Name: ____________________________
Your Complete Address (Physical Address with Zip Code not
P.O.BOX) :
Name of City of Residence:____________________
Country:____________________________________
Direct Telephone Number: _____________________
Mobile Number:______________________________
Nearest airport:______________________________
Working Identity Card/Int’l Passport:_____________
Ocupation:________________ Position__________
I registered it with the FedEx Courier company in the name of Computer accessories as its content and i didn’t let them know that it contains funds of US$1.500.000.00 because of fear of betrayal.

Yours faithfully
Mr. Iscoll Jonas

Tags: 419Scam, Advance Fee Fraud, FEDEX Benin

Messages like this one show that the Iraqi conflict is still an ideal background for 419 scams. The stories are hardly researchable and the conflict is full of myths.

A short message offering 24.5 million US Dollars from Hong Kong.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Patrick Chan <pchan@info.net>
Date: Thu, May 15, 2008 at 11:16 AM
Subject: Respond
To: undisclosed-recipients

I am Patrick Chan I work with HANG SENG BANK, HONG KONG.I have a Business Proposal of Twenty four million,Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars for you to handle with me from my bank,if you are interested please send me your full names,privatephone/fax and current residential address and finally after that I shall provide you with more details.
Kind Regards
Patrick Chan

Tags: 419Scam, Advance Fee Fraud, Hang Seng Bank, Patrick Chan

The only interesting point about this e-mail is the e-mail address didia44@zudah.org.

There is a registered domain Zudah.org. It belongs to a woman with an address in California. The question is, how did Didia get a working e-mail address from there?

I am waiting for an answer, so we will have to wait and see if there really is an e-mail account there or not.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Mr Zudah Didia &lt;didia44@zudah.org&gt;
Date: Mon, May 12, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Subject: REPLY AND CALL ME ONLY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED AND READY TO BE OF THIS TRANSACTION
To: didia44@zudah.org

FROM: MR DIDIA ZUDAH.
AUDITING / ACCOUNTING DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL BANK OF AFRICA (BOA)
BURKINA-FASO, WEST AFRICA .
+226 76 18 66 18

MY DEAR, I AM CONTACTING YOU IN REGARDS TO A BUSINESS TRANSFER OF A HUGE SUM OF MONEY FROM A DECEASED ACCOUNT. THOUGH I KNOW THAT A TRANSACTION OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL MAKE ANYONE APPREHENSIVE AND WORRIED, BUT I AM ASSURING YOU THAT ALL WILL BE WELL AT THE END OF THE DAY. I DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU DUE TO THE URGENCY OF THIS TRANSACTION.

PROPOSITION; I DISCOVERED AN ABANDANT SUM OF $11.5M (ELEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLAS) IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMERS WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY. SINCE HIS DEATH, NONE OF HIS NEXT-OF-KIN OR RELATIONS HAS COME FORWARD TO LAY CLAIMS TO THIS MONEY AS THE HEIR. I CANNOT RELEASE THE FUND FROM HIS ACCOUNT UNLESS SOMEONE APPLIES FOR CLAIM AS THE NEXT-OF-KIN TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES. UPON

THIS DISCOVERY, I NOW SEEK YOUR PERMISSION TO HAVE YOU STAND AS A NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED AS ALL DOCUMENTATIONS WILL BE CAREFULLY WORKED OUT BY ME FOR THE FUNDS $11.5M ( ELEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLAS ) TO BE RELEASED IN YOUR FAVOUR AS THE BENEFICIARY’S NEXT OF KIN. IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO NOTE THAT I HAVE SECURED FROM THE PROBATE AN ORDER OF MADAMUS TO LOCATE ANY OF DECEASED BENEFICIARIES.

PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THIS MESSAGE IN ACCEPTANCE OF MY MUTUAL BUSINESS ENDEAVOUR BY FURNISHING ME WITH THE FOLLOWING;

1. YOUR FULL NAMES AND ADDRESS.

2. DIRECT TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS.

THESE REQUIREMENTS WILL ENABLE ME FILE A LETTER OF CLAIM TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS FOR NECESSARY APPROVALS IN YOUR FAVOUR BEFORE THE TRANSFER CAN BE MADE. I SHALL BE OMPENSATING YOU WITH $4.6 MILLION DOLLARS ON FINAL CONCLUSION OF THIS PROJECT, WHILE THE REST $6.9MILLION SHALL BE FOR ME. YOUR OWN SHARE STAYS WITH YOU WHILE THE REST SHALL BE FOR ME FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES IN YOUR COUNTRY.

IF THIS PROPOSAL IS ACCEPTABLE BY YOU, DO NOT TAKE UNDUE ADVANTAGE OF THE TRUST I HAVE BESTOWED IN YOU, I AWAIT YOUR URGENT EMAIL.

REGARDS,

YOUR;S FAITHFULLY,

MR DIDIA ZUDAH
+226 76 18 66 18

Technorati-Tags: 419 Scam, Advance Fee Fraud, Didia Zudah