Posts Tagged ‘scam’

As a charity trustee, I’m certainly no stranger to being targetted by dishonest people. Individuals regularly pay for their insurance or gym membership by setting up a Direct Debit using the charity’s bank details and companies never check; they just take the payment. It happens so much that we’ve had to disable Direct Debits on the account.

But I was, well, impressed is the wrong word, but certainly noted the attention to detail that a recent scam attempt had taken.

I received the following email:

Hi Chris and HNY,

How are you?

Can you arrange a payment today by bacs ? Let me know so i can send
you the Recipient details.

I look forward to getting a quick email respond.

Thanks!

Best regards.

Laurence Eccles and Dr Chris Hassall

I’m the current treasurer of West Yorkshire Humanists, and Laurence and Chris are the co-chairs of the group. So, this sounds like a legitimate email. But it’s from an anonymous gMail account, who had I responded, would have almost certainly asked me to pay a large amount of money to an account they control.

They have clearly targeted us individually, though, researching the name of the committee members and setting up the appropriate fake email.

A few weeks ago, this advert popped up in an app I was using.

To me, this really shows a lack of effort it coming up with your scam. It doesn’t even make sense. The sub-heading claims the woman earns £72 per hour, which translates to the £109,844 per year. How can she be a millionaire if she earns just over £100k per year?

Apparently she works in her spare time. Yet earning £72 a year she would need to do full time hours to achieve this.

You could claim that she is already a millionaire. However, when you click through to the article it is made clear that this is clearly not the case. Just months ago she was struggling to pay the bills. Since she has started doing this, she is loaded.

As she has only been doing it a few months, that also rules out the idea that she is a millionaire from having done it for ten years (and somehow avoided all living costs, in London).

Recently, I received an email from someone who had seen my profile on a dating site. She didn’t mention my name, and it was just sent to “undisclosed recipients”, but I’m sure the story is all true.

How are you my dear,My name is Anita 23 YEARS girl i saw your profile in today google dating site i become interested to know more about you,hope we will move from here i am not so beautiful as those in your country,but love is all about caring and understanding,reply to my inbox So that i can send you my picture and every details about me,
ANITA

So, of course, I emailed her back.

Hi Anita,

Great to hear you saw my profile. I look forward to learning more about you :).

Love,
Chris

I’ve had bad experiences with this kind of thing before, so I wasn’t expecting much. But, to my surprise, a few days later a response dropped into my inbox.

Hello Dearest,
Thanks for your reply to my mail. How is your day? I guess nice. Dear, is a little bit hot over here in Dakar Senegal. My name is Anita Jaafar I’m 23 years 07/ 11/1989, from Sudan in northeast Africa. I am 5′ 7″ tall, Fair in complexion,Single (never married before) I will like us to be good friends shares ideals, exchange of mails and pictures with sincerity. all I need is a friendship with encouragement. I just living alone right now because my late father Dr.Omar Jaafar the managing director of of Omar’s ventures (Ltd) and he was the personal adviser to the former head of state before the rebels attacked our house one early morning and killed my mother and my father in cold blood. I am presently residing in the refugee camp here in Dakar Senegal as a result of the civil war that was fought in my country. it was only me that survive it and I managed to make my way to a nearby country Senegal where i am living now in a refugee camp, i am writing to you from a computer belongs to a Reverend Pastor that has a church here in the camp. I thank God almighty that I am alive today with good health. My hobbies are reading, cooking, cinema, movies,dancing and fond of little kids. I would like to know more about you. Your likes and dislikes, hobbies and what you are doing presently.Just share your words with me as to keeps me moving. tell me about your country, culture and things that will make me feel happy. I will tell you more about myself in my next mail,
Attached here is my photo hope you will like it,
Hoping to hear from you soonest,
Yours friend
Anita,

She also attached a photo.

I responded.

Dear Anita,

How are you?

It is so good to hear from you again. I am very sorry to hear about your parents being killed, I can’t imagine how horrible that must have been for you. To find yourself living in a refugee camp must be very tough too, though it is fortuitous that you find yourself in one with such good internet connectivity. Do give the Reverend my thanks for the kindness he has shown you.

I am 29, single, and living in the north of England, where I run a software development company. It may not be the most glamorous work, but it certainly pays the bills. My hobbies include travelling, sea fishing and playing the occasional game of Secret Agent Laser Chess – a great work out for both the mind and body!

I can see from your picture that you are a very beautiful young woman. I have not been able to locate a picture of myself on my computer, so instead, I have attached a picture of my kat, Bumbles.

Best wishes,
Chris

With the picture attached.

Turns out that my kindness had paid off. She had several million US dollars in a bank account and just needed a foreign representative to help her get it out.

My Dearest
Thanks for your mail How are you today together with your health which is the most important thing to me hope fine,thank God i know you are God sent to my life.Dear,is a little bit hot over here in Dakar Senegal In this camp we are only allowed to go out only on Monday’s and Friday’s of the weeks.It’s just like one staying in the prison and i hope by Gods grace i will come out here soon.

I don’t have any relatives now whom i can go to all my relatives ran away in the middle of the war the only person i have now is Rev.Peter Adams who is the pastor of the (St’Paul église Church grand yoff Dakar Senegal) here in the camp he has been very nice to me since i came in here but i am not living with him rather i am leaving in the women’s hostel because the camp have two hostels one for men the other for women.The Rev telephone number(+221-766-507-345 )His Email (rev_peteradams@ymail.com) Here is my number the Rev father provide for me to be communicating with you,+221-771-231-472) After i explain to him in all your effort to free me out of this condition,l we like you to fill free to call me anytime to speak with me.As a refugee I do not have any right or privilege to any thing be it money or whatever because it is against the law of this country. Meanwhile, i am communicating with you through the Reverend’s Computer because is the only means we can communicate to each other .

Again I do not work nor do anything for living as a result of eating is very difficult for me as we are given food ones a day by 12 PM.I want to go back to my studies because i only attended my first year before the tragic incident that lead me to being in this situation now. Please dear listen to this,i have my late father’s statement of account and death certificate with me here which i will send to you latter,because when my father was alive he deposited some amount of money in a leading bank in Europe which he used my name as the next of kin,the amount in question is $4.9M(four Million Nine Hundred Thousand Dollars) I have informed this bank about my intention to claim my late father’s deposit and the bank said that i most to provide a foreign partner who will assist me in the transfer due to my refugee status here in Senegal. as a refugee i am not allowed direct claim of the money but through an appointed representative to the united refugee law governing, So i will like you to help me transfer this money to your account and from it you will send some money for me to get my traveling documents and air ticket to come over to meet with you.I kept this secret to people in the camp here the only person that knows about it is the Reverend Father because he is like a father to me.

So in the light of above i will like you to keep it to yourself and don’t tell it to anyone for i am afraid of loosing my life and the money if people gets to know about it.Remember i am giving you all this information due to the trust i deposed on you in other to help me get my freedom here to come over in your country for a better future.I like honest and understanding people,truthful and a person of vision,truth and hard working.Meanwhile I will you to send me your contact information’s such as your Age …..Your full name….Country&City…..Phone number…..so that i will get to know you well My favorite language is English , i speak English very fluently because both my father and mother studied in Europe .
.Mean while i will like you to call me like i said i have allot for you,
Have a nice day and think about me.
Awaiting to hear from you soonest.
Yours.
Anita

I was a bit concerned that she wasn’t really in love with me however. So I checked.

Dear Anita,

How good to hear from you again. I consider us blessed that, despite the terrible conditions, the telecommunications infrastructure of Senegal remains unaffected. It truly is a miracle.

It is a miracle also that your father deposited the money for you, and such an incredible amount too. However, I must confess that I am concerned. When you first wrote to me, I assumed it was because there was something special between us, but now I feel used. Tell me, is it simply about the money, or do you feel affection for me too?

Yours sincerely,
Chris

I just got more bank details back though.

My Dearest,
Thank for your mail.
How are you today? together with your health which is the most important thing to me hope all is well for you God will bless and reward you for every effort you are about to make to see me out from this horrible prison condition called refugee camp where i am living today as a result of the untimely death of my parents (may Their gentle souls rest in peace) My Dear lovely I have read your mail and wish to thank you for coming into my life and showing me That there are still a good one in this world thanks for your caring and concerns upon my life God will bless you OK,

Here is the contact information of the bank in UK where the money was deposited by my late father is as follows,
Name; FIBI BANK PLC LONDON
Email Address: (info.fibibank@aim.com)
Name of the transfer officer is Mr.Martin Berwarld.
Telephone number +447035983170.
Fax: +447024083382)
I have already informed this bank about my intention to claim my late father’s deposit Which my name Appears as the next of kin. the only thing the bank told me was to Provide a foreign partner who will assist me in the transfer due to my refugee status here in Senegal, as a refugee i am not allowed direct claim of the money but through an appointed representative to the united refugee law governing refugee all over the world states.

Based on this information i will like you to send an email to the transfer department of the bank today with Their email address:( info.fibibank@aim.com), Mr.Martin Berwarld, the foreign transfer officer of the bank, telling him That You Are my foreign representative and you want to know the Possibilities of Assisting me transfer my 4.9million dollars deposited by my late father of Which i am the next of kin into your account due to my refugee status here in Dakar Senegal OK.

THE ACCOUNT INFORMATION ARE AS FOLLOWS.
Name of Depositor: DR.OMAR JAAFAR
Name of Next of Kin: MISS ANITA JAAFAR
Amount Deposited: US$4,900,000.00,
Account No. 012548745154145/SCB
God bless as you do this today by sending email to the Bank for the transfer.
Thanks for Being There for me and thanks for coming into my life.
Awaiting to hear from you soonest,
Yours lovely
Anita

I pressed the issue.

You didn’t answer my question…

Chris

She never wrote back.

I was heart broken. I had weeks of material to bait her with…

Having recently been contacted by a Libyan solider who had $50 million to split between us, I was currently engaged in sorting out the details with the UK based security company, Alpha Security Ltd. I had just sent them over my details but with my phone unfortunately broken, said we would have to continue planning by email.

Dear Bernard,

Not to worry, I can’t imagine it will be an issue either way. We should, as you suggest then, proceed with full steam ahead. The tourism season is approaching after all and I’m sure the restaurant will be placing many orders with my brother’s farm soon!

Actually, my brother was recently doing some market research as he is trying to gauge the expectations of his target audience. As a well to do business man that I am sure you am, perhaps you could lend your opinion. On a traditional hog roast you normally stuff an apple in the pig’s mouth. Obviously, with these being miniature pigs, we would need miniature apples, and he can’t do that. So he is wondering if the effect would be spoilt?

On the matter of proceeding, you would normally be able to reach me on 0113 350 7662, however we’ve been having some problems with our service recently, so I fear we may need to proceed via email.

Yours faithfully,
Rev Chris Worfolk

Unhelpfully, Bernard ingored my brother’s market research question and continued to discuss the arrangements.

Dear Rev. Chris Worfolk,

In line with our last email correspondence regarding the delivery of the consignment deposited with us in which you are the beneficiary, we wish to inform you that the consignment is ready to be delivered to your door step by our assignment Diplomat upon receipt of the following mandatory and non negotiation obligations.

1. Your mailing address which also include the nearest Airport to your home.
2. Payment of KYC and profile definition of USD550

Please treat this as a matter of urgency to enable complete our assignment and on time.

The fee should be sent in the of our Secretary as follows:

NAME: Victoria Ashley
ADDRESS: London UK

Please endeavour to send us the scan copy of the payment slip.

Yours faithfully,

Bernard David
Manager, Treasury Department

The address looked a bit suspect, so I asked for clarification.

Dear Bernard,

Good to hear from you. When I didn’t hear anything for a few days, I feared something might have gone wrong! So it’s very comforting to know that everything is ready.

My mailing address is:

3 Brockley Close
Church Fenton
Tadcaster
LS24 9RB

The nearest airport would be Leeds & Bradford International.

As for payment, I have this ready to send, but I don’t think I can send it to “Victoria Ashley, London, UK.” Normally you would also include a number, street name and postcode, as I fear that there may be many Victoria Ashleys in London, and how would the Royal Mail know which one to deliver it to?

Best wishes,
Rev Chris Worfolk

Bernard got back to me with a clarification on the address.

Dear Rev Chris Worfolk,

Thanks for your response and your observation. Yours mailing address and nearest airport is noted.

You are therefore requested to send the USD550 through western union money transfer with our secretary name and address below:

Victoria Ashley
62b, Clarendon Road, London E17 9AZ UK

Please ensure to send us the payment details via email to enable the Diplomat deliver to you address as follows:

3 Brockley Close
Church Fenton
Tadcaster
LS24 9RB

Yours faithfully,

Bernard David
Manager, Treasury Department

Unfortunately, I didn’t know what Western Union was.

Dear Bernard,

I must say that I am most confused. What is Western Union? It sounds like some kind of railway network. Are you suggesting that I put the money on a train?

Best wishes,
Rev Chris Worfolk

Bernard seemed quite surprised I hadn’t heard of it.

Dear Rev. Chris Worfolk,

I am amazed that you are hearing about the western union money transfer for the first time. It is the fastest way to send or receive money across the globe.

I want you to understand that you are the one delaying the delivery of your consignment. All you have to do is walk into any Western Union Money transfer agent or Money gram and tell them that you want to send money to the detail given to you.

They will give a form which you will complete after which they will collect the money from you and immediately dispatch it. Please you must understand that time is of essence in this transaction.

Waiting for your response with the payment details.

Yours faithfully,

Bernard David

Unfortunately, we simply don’t have any of that in the small village where I live.

Dear Bernard,

The fastest way to send or receive money across the globe? That is quite something. However, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have anything like that in the sleepy village of Church Fenton. Surely I can just send the money via back transfer?

Best wishes,
Rev Chris Worfolk

Apparently, I could.

Dear Rev. Chris Wolfork,

As per your request, please send the wire transfer to this account to our agent in USA.

William w. Miller Jr,
Regions Bank , 620 veterans memorial drive, Kosciusko, Mississippi 39090 USA

Routing # 065305436

Acct # 0169815690

Please ensure to send us the payment via email attachment.

Yours faithfully,

Bernard David

At this point, I got bored. Shame, I could have really done with the money.

I’m a bit strapped for cash at the moment, so you can imagine how excited I was when I received the following email.

Attn:

My name is Captain David Kelly, a Liberian soldier who served in the NATO force, that brought an end to era of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

In one of the raids I found the sum of USD13.5M stolen and hidden in a cave and I am writing to you to assist me in receiving the fund so that after my service I will come to your country for investment of the fund in any lucrative business of your choice.

Please, if this offer appeals to you do let me know, so that full information will be communicated to you More importantly, I suggest you keep this transaction with utmost confidentiality.

Sincerely,
Captain David Kelly

The question is though, how did I know he was legitimate? I thought it best to ask him.

Dear Captain Kelly,

That sounds too good to be true. How do I know you are legitimate?

Yours faithfully,
Rev Chris Worfolk

He emailed me back a week later to reassure me.

Dear Rev Chris Worfolk,

Thanks for taking time to understudy my email and for your response; in answer to the question about my legitimacy, I assure you that this is real and risk free.

I thought about leaving the money behind but changed my mind when I remembered that this was stolen money which probably was meant to sponsor terrorism. You will agree with me that the best option was to take the money and invest it into something positive.

Therefore, I solicit for your assistance so that you receive this fund and invest it on any profitable business of your choice and on our behalf.

If really you are interested please furnish me with the following details to enable me link you up with the security company where the fund was deposited by my personal aid.

FULL NAME:
MAILING ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:

Waiting for your response.

Yours faithfully,
Captain David Kelly

Well, what a relief. He has assured me that he was real, and risk free! I emailed him back.

Dear Captain David Kelly,

Thank you for your response. I must confess I am most excited by the prospect. In a stroke of good fortune I received an email from my brother last week. He moved to America some years ago and is currently looking for investment to start a farm. What an ideal opportunity I thought to myself!

However, I am curious as to how the transfer would be made? And on what terms?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Rev Chris Worfolk

He got back to me with full details.

Rev Chris Worfolk,

Again thanks for your email. It is a great opportunity for your brother if he can accept and invest this money in his proposed farm firm.

To effectively carry out this fund transfer, I have made a concrete arrangement for the security company where the fund was deposited as family treasure to effectively get the consignment to you or your brother without hitches.

The fund was concealed and deposited as family treasures to avoid attracting heavy taxes associated with such huge fund transaction. Upon successful movement of the fund to you, we will share it to the ration of 50-50% and have it jointly invested in your brother proposed farm firm, or what do you think?

Please write the security company with the following email address and inform them that you are the beneficiary of the deposited treasure and keep me updated with your communications with them.

Yours faithfully,

Captain David Kelly

I decided it was best to explain about my brother’s farm in full.

Dear Captain David Kelly,

Yes, I am most excited about the prospect. I don’t fully understand what he does, as I am a man of God rather than a man of science, but he believes he has found a way to breed miniature pigs so that they could be sold to restaurants who could serve the phone pig, dressed with head and all, to their customers.

Such an arrangement sounds more than fair. Very good thinking in depositing it as a family treasure. Do I need to supply the security company with any kind of reference or account number when I contact them?

Yours faithfully,
Rev Chris Worfolk

As it would happen, I didn’t need to give them a reference number or proof or identity, because they would just know who I am. Brilliant.

Dear Rev Chris Worfolk,

Thanks for your response, thought it took you quite some time to reply. Just write the security company and inform them that you were referred by me in respect of the consignment deposited with them in your name.

From there, they will furnish you with all the delivery details. I have hereby handed over the business of receiving the consignment to you on trust as I am not disposed to constant communication due to my work schedule.

I trust that you will handle this transaction effectively. Once again here is the Security Company’s detail:
ALPHA SECURITY SERVICES LTD UK
Email: alphasec.ukltd@yahoo.co.uk

Yours sincerely,

Captain David Kelly

All going well so far. So I sent the security company an email, explaining the situation.

To whom it may concern:

I was recently contacted by Captain David Kelly who has referred me to you, in order to help him move his family fortune out of Libya. He instructed me to write to you, and that you would furnish me with further details.

Yours faithfully,
Rev Chris Worfolk

They emailed me back a form to complete.

Attention: Rev Chris Worfolk

Please view our letter with regards to the consignment with us by Captain David Kelly of which you are the beneficiary.

We await your response with regards to our demands.

Yours faithfully,

Bernard David
Manager, Treasury Department
Alpha Security Services (UK) Ltd

I had a few questions though, which I responded with.

Dear Bernard,

First of all, let me thank you for all your hard work in assisting Captain David Kelly and myself so far.

Having recently spoke to Captain David Kelly, he informs me that he may be away for some time due to his hectic work schedule. I trust that this will not interfere with the process of transferring the consignment?

Now, the consignment is eventually destined to be invested in my brother’s farm. He runs a pig farm you see, and has managed to breed miniature pigs so that the whole animal may be presented to the customer, dressed of course, at a local restaurant he supplies.

To better illustrate, I have attached a picture I have drawn. Please do not laugh at its crudeness – I am the first one to admit that I am no artist, but I thought it would better help illustrate his business model.

Therefore, I wonder whether it would be best to have the consignment transferred straight to his address, or whether it is necessary for it to pass through my hands first? I will leave this to your advice, as you are after all the expert on such matters.

Yours faithfully,
Rev Chris Worfolk

Below is the picture I attached.

I presume they liked the picture, and emailed me back straight away.

Dear Rev Chris Worfolk,

This is to acknowledge receipt of your detailed email, however, I am sorry to inform you that all documentation on Captain David’s instructions have been registered in your name and it will take quite some time to reverse this documentations.

Please let us continue dealing directly with you to avoid deviating from our agreement with Captain David. Thank you.

Kindly furnish us with your direct telephone number for easier communication since we find out that it takes you more time to respond through email.

Find here attached the consignment’s certificate of deposit in your name.

All things being equal by Monday the delivery arrangements would have been concluded and delivery will commence.

Yours faithfully,

Bernard David
Manager, Treasury Department.

Part two is coming tomorrow.

EDIT: Part two is now available here.