Tag Archive for: Advanced Fee Fraud

Nigerian Scam Takes a New Form

Nigerian scams happen everyday to thousands of victims in various ways: email, snail mail, fax, Facebook and for the first time in our experience, the “Contact Us” page on our website. This is significant because it shows the the technology of the Nigerian crime rings has advanced enough to foil the Captcha device on our website.

Nigerian scams (more accurately known as advanced-fee fraud) have been around for ages and were named because they originated in Nigeria. To create the scam, criminals generally claim that there is a large sum of money that can only be released to a relative of some deceased member of royalty.  Victims are asked to provide a bank account into which the money can be transferred and are promised a large percentage of the money for performing the service. In some cases, victims may also be asked to pay a fee or a series of fees for the release of the money.  Once the victim has provided account information, the criminals will often drain their bank accounts, and occasionally use that information to open new, fraudulent accounts.

If you have never seen one before I highly recommend you read this. They change frequently and recently have been taking more complex forms, but the intention is always the same: to steal your money in exchange for the prospect of wealth that never materializes.  After seeing how they try to lure you into helping them with a compelling story,  you will be able to spot them with ease and protect yourself form becoming a victim.

From: refugee camp (helise)
Date: July 24, 2010 4:11:08 AM MDT
To: john@192.241.219.145
Subject: Contact Submission [ThinkLikeASpy.com]

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Below is a contact request from ThinkLikeASpy.com
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Name: helise
Email: refugee camp
Phone:
Company:
Location:


Comments:
Dear friend,
My nane (sic) is Miss Helise Mambo Robert.I am constrained to contact you because of the maltreatment I was receiving from my uncle since the death of my parents. She has taken away all my late father’s treasury and properties from me since the unexpected death of my beloved parents. Meanwhile I wanted to escape to the Europe but he hides away my international passport and other valuable traveling documents. Luckily, He did not discover where I kept my father’s file which contained important documents. So, I decided to run to the refugee camp where I’m in a the Refugee now.
My late father of blessed memory deposited the sum of Fifteen Million five hundred thousand US Dollars.(US$15.5M)some where with my name as the “next of kin”.The money was inherited from my father who was the Chairman of the Zimbabwe Gold Mining Corporation before he was assassinated by the country’s president, Robert Mugabe. However, I shall forward you with the necessary documents on confirmation of your acceptance to assist me receive the fund in your country for further investments on my behalf. As you will help me in an investment, and I will like to complete my studies when I will come over to your country as I was in my 1st year in the university when the crisis started.This is the reason why I decided to contact you.
The money has been lodged with a company, since 2008. I now want to move this money abroad and invest it in Profitable ventures, as the time is now ripe for such move.I was in the school when my father and mother were assasinated (sic) by the president.Our houses and other properties were distroyed (sic).The group pretended to be rebels but we knew that it is the president that sent them because he has disagrement (sic)with him on the issue of killing the white people who are farmers in my country.My father opposed the killing and my father told him that he will expose him if he goes ahead in killing the with farmers.

WHAT I ASK YOU TO DO:

1.Firstly to assist me move this money to any stable country abroad.
2.To assist me invest the money in profitable ventures in your country or any other suitable country where you have good connections.
3. To help me re-locate me to the suggested country.
4. To manage the money in a profitable manner, preferably a joint venture deals with you. It is risk free.
Immediately I hear from you I will detail you on the procedure of moving the money to your country.

For your assistance you will get 30% (Thirty Percent) of the total amount.
You can contact me through my e-mail above for more details.
Sincere regards

Miss Helise Mambo Robert
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John Sileo became America’s top Identity Theft Speaker after he lost his business and more than $300,000 to identity theft and data breach. His newest Book Privacy Means Profit:Prevent Identity Theft and Secure You and Your Bottom Line is available now. His clients include the Department of Defense, the FTC, Pfizer and the FDIC. To learn more about having him speak at your next meeting or conference, contact him by email or on 800.258.8076.