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Here’s a classic mistake a lot of the African crooks make. They send a message which does not agree with the e-mail account sending it.
Now I for one, would not believe a tale like this one for just for that reason.
On the other hand, why would anybody who had Mikhail Khordokovsky’s money in his possession need me to help transfer his cash anywhere? They would already have all the right contacts without needing to resort to someone like myself if that was true.
A third point, Mikhail Khordokovsky, the former boss of Yukos Oil Company, is interned somewhere in Siberia and is no longer an important business man (oligarch).
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Sarah Al Bin Fazal <praksin@iol.cz>
Date: 2008/10/18
Subject: Dear Friend
To: undisclosed-recipients
Dear Friend,
I am Mrs. Larisa Sosnitskaya and I represent Mr. Mikhail Khordokovsky the former C.E.O of Yukos Oil Company in Russia. I have a very sensitive and confidential brief from this top (oligarch) to ask for your partnership. If interested kindly send a mail to my private email {larisa.office02@yahoo.com.hk} so as to furnish you with details
This e-mail goes to great detail to explain what the crooks want to do. Now the funny thing about it, is fact that the deceased’s personal details are kept anonymous. They only go on to say that he had the same surname. It is written so that the e-mail would fit anybody who receives it.
Reading the text you get the impression it has been written by an educated person with a good command of the English language. It’s a far cry from the usual mumbo jumbo and semi-official language which is often used in other messages.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Mr Stewart Barculo
Date: Wed, Aug 27, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Subject: I AWAIT YOUR URGENT RESPONSE
To: undisclosed-recipients
Standard Life Bank,
30 Lothian Road,
Edinburgh EH1 2DH
EMAIL ;stew_bar22uk@yahoo.com.hk
Good day,
I am Stewart Barculo, Staff of Standard Life Bank Limited.
I am contacting you concerning a deceased customer and an investment he
placed under our banks management Eight 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 contacted 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 2000, 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
Fifty million 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, 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 ten 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 2001, he asked that the money be liquidated because he needed to
make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in here in the United
Kingdom. He directed that I liquidate the funds and deposit it with a
security firm. I informed him that Standard Life 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
cater 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 February 2003.In June last year, we got a
call from the security firm informing us that 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 Standard
Life 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 Cannes, South of France.
We were soon enough able 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 official capacity 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, you being the last batch of names we
have considered, 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 Standard Life Bank,
failing to receive viable claims they will most probably revert the
deposit back to Standard Life Bank. This will result in the money entering
the Standard Life 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 who 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 Fifty Million 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 Standard Life 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
comes 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; you share the same surname with our late client; 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 in half. That
is: I will simply nominate you as the next of kin and have them release
the deposit to you. We share the proceeds 50/50.I would have gone ahead to
ask the funds be released to me, but that would have drawn a straight line
to me and my involvement in claiming the deposit. But on the other hand,
you with the same very name as the original depositor would easily pass as
the beneficiary with right to claim. I assure you that I could have the
deposit released to you within a few days. I will simply inform the 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. I 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 me 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 name 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 stew_bar22uk@yahoo.com.hk 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 me. My official lines are not secure 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 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.
Kindly send your response to my private email address:
stew_bar22uk@yahoo.com.hk
I often wonder at these plane crash stories. If you have been here often you know that the Andreas Schranner story has been regularly posted here. It goes something like this “a multimillionaire died in a plane crash and left a pile of money in an African bank”. The writer goes on to say “we now need some one to pose as the next of kin to claim this lost money”. The reason for this being there are no living inheritors and we would like the money for ourselves. huh!
So where does this go from here?
Anyone who falls for this story contacts the crooks and immediately gets put through the mill. Form one e-mail to another he gets more and more involved, sending documents and setting himself up as the legal next of kin. Or so he thinks …
In reality, he is just corresponding with the crooks in the guise of lawyers, bankers and notaries.
Once he has gotten in this deep, they push him to pay a fee of say, 800 Dollars or better Euros. It could be for taxes, lawyers or bank costs, whatever. Of course, it is an imaginary fee and it doesn’t really matter for what the crooks claim the payment to be for.
They put the pressure on the “victim” to pay, saying the deal cannot go through without it. Naturally the crooks can’t don’t have the money to pay the fee. They are only poor Africans.
Needless to say the money should be sent through Western Union and once this is paid, they push the poor victim for more.
They push him for what they can get. Which means that victims which are gullible enough, pay anything up to 20,000 Dollars and more.
This often means financial ruin for the victims. For the African crooks, it’s a way of life.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Evans Efedua <evans_info@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 9:48 PM
Subject: Proposition
To:
From: Mr. Evans Efedua
Manager Credit and Foreign Bills
Regent Bank Plc
Victoria Island.
Email: evans_efedua2007@yahoo.com.hk
Dear Friend,
My name is Mr. Evans Efedua, I am the Manager, Credit and Foreign bills of Regent Bank Plc. I am contacting you of a business transfer, of a huge sum of US$15.5M (Fifteen Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that everything has been taken care off, and all will be well at the end of the day. I decided to contact you to the urgency of this transaction.
PROPOSITION:
I am the account officer of a foreigner named Late Mr. Morris Thompson who died in an air crash along with his wife and only daughter on the January 31 in an Alaska airline Flight 261 with other passengers on board. You can confirm this from the website below which was published by www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska airlines.list
Since his death, none of his next-of-kin are alive to make claims for this money as his heir, because they all died in the same accident himself and his wife (May their soul rest in peace). We 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 to be released in your favor as the beneficiary’s next of kin. Because after four years the money will be called back to the bank treasury as unclaimed bills and the money shared amongst the directors of the bank. So it is on this note I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the next of kin/beneficiary to this funds rather than allow the bank directors to share this money among themselves at the end of the year. It may interest you to know that we have secured from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries. Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavor by furnishing me with the following information if you are interested. All I need from you is as follows:
1. Your confirmation of your ability to handle this Business for me.
2. Your word that you will keep this business as Confidential as possible at all times until we conclude this business.
3. Your telephone and Fax numbers for communication.
4. Age and Occupation.
I shall be compensating you with 30% (thirty percent) on final conclusion of this project for your assistance, while we will retain 65% (sixty-five percent) and 5% (five percent) goes for expenses because I intend to retire after the conclusion of this business. If this business is acceptable by you. Do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you.
Your faithfully,
Mr. Evans Efedua
Manager Credit and Foreign Bills
Regent Bank Plc
———- Forwarded message ———- From: Jairzinho Ramos Medina <jar46@drexel.edu> Date: Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 8:34 AM Subject: Here writes Mrs Stella Cole To: undisclosed-recipients Here writes Mrs Stella Cole. I am married to Pharmacist Dave Cole an Englishman who died years ago. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of 7.5 Million (Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand Great Britain Pounds Sterling which were derived from his vast estates and investment in capital market with a security company here in UK. Presently,this money is still with the bank.My Doctor told me that I have limited days to live due to the cancerous problems I am suffering from. I have decided to donate this fund to you and want you to use this gift which comes from my husbands effort to fund the upkeep of widows, widowers, orphans, destitute, the down- trodden,physically challenged children, barren-women and persons who prove to be genuinely handicapped financially.please get back to me so that i can give you contact address of my bank and barrister here in UK. Hope to hear from you soon and God bless you and members of your family. NOTE: I will prefer you contact me on my most private and confidential email address: mrsstellacole3@yahoo.com.hk Faithfully Yours Mrs Stella Cole
Ever since Mikhail Khordokovsky was put in jail (or better said a labour camp somewhere in Siberia) this message has been seen quite often.
Of course, anyone knowing who Mikhail Khordokovsky is will know of the wealth he had and a story like this one could be taken as true.
Rest assured it is, as usual, just the bait for unsuspecting victims.
My advice?
Just delete it and forget it.
———- Forwarded message ———- From: MRS LARISA SOSNITSKAYA <mrslarisasosnit07@yahoo.com.hk> Date: Jan 20, 2008 12:05 AM Subject: BUSINESSS PROPOSAL To: undisclosed-recipients
Dear Friend,
I am Mrs. Larisa Sosnitskaya, personal treasurer to Mr. Mikhail Khordokovsky Former C.E.O of Yukos Oil Company and Bank Menatep here in Russia. I have a very sensitive business proposal for your partnership, with documents of a large amount of funds over US$46(forty six) million which Mr. Mikhail Khordokovsky,handed over to me before he was detained and jailed in Russia for Tax Invasion, thereby leading to the freezing of his finances and assets. Already the funds have left the shore of Russia to a European Bank where the final crediting is expected to be carried out.
While I was on the process, My Boss got arrested for his Involvement in politics by financing the leading and opposition political parties (the Union of Right Forces, led by Boris Nemtsov, and Yabloko, a liberal/social democratic party Led by Gregor Yavlinsky) which poses treat to President Vladimir Putin Second Tenure as Russian president and he is presently in Jail now.
But in summary, the funds come in via Bank Menatep to a more secured Bank in Europe. This is a legitimate transaction. You will be paid 20% for your “management fees?. All I need from you is to stand as the beneficiary of the above quoted Sum and I will re-profile the funds with your name, which will enable the European bank transfer the sum to you. I have decided to use this Sum to relocate to another continent on investment programs with you if possible.
As Soon as I confirm your readiness to partner and assist me on the transaction, I will provide you with the full details contain therein and my identification.
Now Mr. Kim got himself imprisoned for fraud in 2006.
Doesn’t that sound like a good background for a first class scam e-mail?
And here it is, offering you a miserly 15% for your services.
———- Forwarded message ———- From: Ms. Cheung Pui Ling <cheung@icbcasia.com.hk> Date: Dec 21, 2007 6:50 PM Subject: INVESTMENT PROPOSAL To:
Dear Friend,
This is a Management Placement on behalf of Mr. Kim Woo Choong.
Mr. Kim Woo Choong is looking for an experienced business person/company that can profitably invest monies in excess of Fourty Nine Million US Dollars outside China. The sum will be paid from Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
Visit our bank website at http://www.icbcasia.com/eng/index.shtml
Or request immediate information from:
Mr. Zhu Qi Managing Director and, Chief Executive Officer, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited 33/F, ICBC Tower 3 Garden Road, Central Hong Kong Toll free No: + (852) 800-90863 Local Fax No:+ (852) 301-54297 Email: zhuqi_icbc001@hotmail.com
Most importantly, you will be required to:
[1]. Act as the original beneficiary of the funds. [2]. Receive the funds into a business/private bank account. [3]. Invest/Manage the funds outside of China.
Mr. Kim Woo Choong is willing to pay 5% for your role as the beneficiary partner to the funds. Also, a subsequent 10% “Management Commission” will be paid for your advised investment services. A further 5% will be used to write off any expenses incurred in the course of transferring the principal sum.
If you prefer to be re-contacted for more express information, please send us your:
[1] Full Names: [2] Contact address: [3] Direct Telephone No:
Be advised to visit the following links to be better acquainted with Mr. Kim Woo Choong?s current profile and personality.
We expect your correspondence and our response will be swift.
Signed: Ms. Cheung Pui Ling, Company Secretary Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited 33/F, THE ICBC Tower 3 Garden Road, Central Hong Kong. E-mail: cpl_icbc101@hotmail.com
Even if they don’t give their lottery a name, it’s still a scam.
———- Forwarded message ———- From: Mr Taylor Brian <mail1006@adelphia.net> Date: 06.12.2007 12:19 Subject: END OF YEAR NOTICE(YOU HAVE WON 753, 000.00GBP) To: undisclosed-recipients
We wish to notify you that this email address was randomly selected and entered into our free Third Category draws.You have subsequentl emerged a winner and therefore entitled to a substantial amount of 753,000.00 Great BritainPounds. YOUR WINNING DETAILS REFERENCE NUMBER:UK/839030X2/14 BATCH NUMBER:065/088/XY24 TICKET NUMBER:023-1111-790-458 ( NO TICKET SOLD) For further information, kindly confirm receipt of this email, by forwarding this message to our claims department on Email : PAYMENT PROCESSING FORM 1.FULL NAMES:_____________ 2.ADDRESS:_______________ 3.SEX:_______________ 4.AGE:________ 5.MARITAL STATUS:__________6.OCCUPATION:_____________ 7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:___________ 8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:_______ 9.AMOUNT WON:______________ 10. COUNTRY________________ ============================= Mrs Vennesa.Roger. Carlsome EMAIL:thunderballverificationboard@yahoo.com.hk TEL: +44 701 112 1394 ============================= Thank you. Yours Sincerely, Mr Taylor Brian Award Notification Team
Let me start by introducing myself,i am Mr.Marvin Cheung the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of the Hang Seng Bank,Hong Kong.I have a secured business proposal for you.l will like to know if you are willing to assist me,lf interested please contact me on my private email address: marvin_kt_cheung0103@yahoo.com.hk
———————————————————————————- Let me start by introducing myself,i am Mr.Marvin Cheung the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of the Hang Seng Bank,Hong Kong.I have a secured business proposal for you.l will like to know if you are willing to assist me,lf interested please contact me on my private email address: marvin_kt_cheung0103@yahoo.com.hk
Personally, I think Nita is either Joker or not very intelligent or maybe both. I say this because, seriously, do you know anyone called Black-Brown?
———- Forwarded message ———- From: nita brown Date: Oct 25, 2007 10:05 PM Subject: Greetings my dear To: nita_blackbrown10@yahoo.com
Warm Greetings,
I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ our Lord, we have to worship our Lord Jesus christ with all our heart because we have determined to remain under the covering of His anointing, Obedience to His purpose and living a life that honours Him will keep us under His hand of blessing.
I am Mrs Nita Blackbrown markson from Kuwait. I am married to Mr Black brown who worked with Kuwait embassy in Ivory Coast for nine years before he died in the year 2006.We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days.Before his death we were both born again Christian.
Since his death I decided not to remarry or get a child outside my matrimonial home which the Bible is against.When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of US$10.7million dollars in a Bank here in Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire.Presently, this money is still in bank.
Recently when l went to Medical check , my Doctor told told me that I would not last for the next Eight months due to cancer problem. The one that disturbs me most is my stroke sickness. Now l am back where my late Husband deposited the money and will go back for surgical operation immediately the money is transfered to your account as l will direct you on how to Donate the money
Having known my condition I decided to donate this fund to a charity organization that will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct herein.
I want an organization that will use this fund for orphanages, school and church ,widows, propagating the word of God and to endeavor that the house of God is maintained. The Bible made us to understand that “Blessed is the hand that giveth”.I took this decision because I don’t have any child that will inherit this money and my husband relatives are not Christians and I don’t want my husband’s efforts to be used by unbelievers.
I don’t want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly way. This is why I am taking this decision. I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going. I know that I am going to be in the bosom of the Lord.Exodus 14 VS 14 says that “the lord will fight my case and I shall hold my peace”
I don’t need any telephone communication in this regard because of my health hence the presence of my husband’s relatives around me always. I don’t want them to know about this development.With God all things are possible. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Bank here in Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire.
I will also issue you an authority letter that will prove you the present beneficiary of this fund. I want you and the church to always pray for me because the lord is my shephard. My happiness is that I lived a life of a worthy Christian. Whoever that Wants to serve the Lord must serve him in spirit and Truth. Please always be prayerful all through your life.
any delay in your reply will give me room in sourcing another church / Organisation or individual for this same purpose.
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I Stated herein. Hoping to receive your reply. my private email address is ( nita_blackbrown10@yahoo.com)