Another day, another scam. It seems scam emails are taking a new phase in tricking users to getting into sending people money in return for Millions.
Heres the email for your pleasure. (EDIT: Edited personal details due to privacy issues:P)
Attn: Mr Bob Smith
2005/05/26
FROM THE DESK OF REUBEN JAMES KHUMALO
RJK CONSULTANCY GROUP LIMITED
SUITE:1104, MONTREAL-CTR VLE-DWTN CONV CTR
99 VIGER AVE & ST. URBAIN ST.
MONTREAL, QC H2Z1E9
CANADA
TEL: +1 514 570 5185
FAX: +1 514 2213144
TOLL FREE FAX NUMBER: +1 888 292-6398
ATTN: Smith, Bob
I am Mr. Reuben James Khumalo, director of RJK consultancy group. I have been contacted by a team of managers of One of the failed banks in United States of America, USA, ( First National Bank of Blanchardville, Blanchardville ) closed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on the 9th of May 2003.
References:
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/index.html
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/blanchardville.html
These bank officials requested that I source a reputable firm/businessman with strong business and financial standing to receive and manage a large amount of money slated for offshore investment in your country.
The amount of money in question is USD140million.
Terms of this deal shall be prescribed in subsequent correspondence. Modalities for transfer of this fund shall be managed by the bank managers as they are experts in the field. This deal is 100% risk free.
If you/your company is interested in this deal, the investors are ready to offer 10% of the totall fund for your busines assistance . Request details of the transaction by sending a detailed fax message to the fax number below:
+1 514 2213144 and/or +1 888 292-6398 , as soon as you send a fax to any of those fax numbers please contact me on the phone number +1 514 570 5185.
In your fax message, kindly indicate your company’s line of business, name of the president /ceo of your company, contact person, office phone number, mobile phone number, fax number, email address and mailing address and time to contact them and the most appropriate means to contact them.
We shall only provide you details if you strongly indicate interest in this business proposal and if we establish that you are financially capable to receive and manage such amount of money.
All matters regarding this business dealing has to be treated with absolute confidentiality.
Awaiting response.
Thanks,
Yours sincerely
Reuben James
Now it begs the question. How did they know my address? How did they know my name? Ahhh its simple. WhoIs query will return my address for the wsoftware.biz domain - which is infact out of date as we moved 2 years ago (ooops!).
How do these things usually work? Well I'll tell you cause (shhhh!) I took onboard a "scam" trying to scam the "scammer" a while ago, first i recieved an email from one "John Freeman" as mentioned below (unedited):
Goodday,
> I am contacting you based on my desire to invest huge amount
> of money in US currency in a viable project in your country.
> We shall meet in no time as soon as I am able to arrange new
> traveling papers having lost my International Passport in our
> military campaign to unseat the Undemocratic and Despotic
> Government of Charles Taylor in Liberia.
> I am a top-ranking officer in the REBEL MODER FRACTION in
> Liberia that controls the Gold Mining region in Liberia. It
> is believed that the armed conflict will come to an end soon
> following the recent peace initiative by European Commission
> held recently in Accra, Ghana.
> I need a trust worthy person that will not exploit my present
> situation. You are to manage the funds while I disengage from
> the Rebel Group, arrange for International Traveling
> Documents to enable my family and me leave this war torn
> country I shall give you details as soon as I hear from you.
> Please indicate your private telephone\fax numbers in your
> reply to enhance communication.
> Treat as Urgent
> Regards
> Captain John Freeman.
This was sent to an address thats commonly used by bots on the wsoftware domain... so I thought, well if he's genuine (ha! as if) he'll know i'm trying to trick him and decided to regsiter a Hotmail account, pretend to be a chic (Rachael Griffith) whos 60 something retired with a husband who has been serving as a medical professor for the past 35 years *cough* and that I'd be glad to be assisting him. So time went on and we discussed various things and the final email he asks to meet him in London to make the deposit...
Pls., let me have your mobile phone number so that i can call you when the
situation is suitable on my own end.
The way things are you should be in London at least second week of this month
(september,2003) and details will be giving to you as soon as you indicate
your readiness.
So thats when i stopped and reported the matter to the police who didnt do much (great arent they?)... So I presume this new "money" scam is no similar.
Be warned, they are getting smart, but its up to us to be smarter:-) Noone in their right mind would trasnfre omoney from one account to another at such a high price - $millions is a lot to trust someone you dont know. And yet people dont realise this.