Classic Scams

I just had to laugh, it was so ridiculous. By now I hope you have all heard of “phishing” and are properly leery of any unsolicited email asking for your personal information, and that you never click on any emailed links. I hope that you’re aware that there are scammers out there on the Web and that they’re after your money and/or your identity.

If you are a loyal Tech–for Everyone reader, you have seen my advice regarding this type of devilry before, (In case you missed it, read my “rocket scientist” post, click here.) and my reco’s for combating it.
Saturday is the day I check my “suspected spam” and “junk mail” folders to make sure there’s nothing legitimate in there by mistake. I wasn’t startled to see that there was some phishing attempts in there … but I was surprised to see that someone had tried sending me the all-time-classic, original “Nigerian banker” phish! I mean … this thing’s so old it belongs in a museum. See for yourself:

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB).
OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASO
WEST AFRICA.
Transfer Of (25.200.000.000).Twenty-Five Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars.

I AM GILBERT KABORE, THE AUDITOR GENERAL AUDIT AND ACCOUNT INFORMATION IN THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR AUDITING I DISCOVERED A FUND IN THE ACCOUNT OPENED BY MR JOHN KOROVO AND AFTER GOING THROUGH THE RECORDS IN THE FILES I FIND OUT THAT MR JOHN KOROVO WAS A VICTIM OF (BEIRUT BOUND CHARTER JET PLANE CRASH HAPPENED ON THE 26TH DECEMBER 2003 IN COTONOU( REPUBLIC OF BENIN).HERE IS THE WEB SITE(http://ww.cnn.com/2003/WORabcdefghij/26/benin.crash)[never click links in emails!!!!]

IN MY TOTAL INVESTIGATION OF THIS ISSUE I FIND OUT THAT LATE MR JOHN KOROVO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY LEFT NOBODY TO CLAIM FOR THE FUND IN THE ACCOUNT. AND THE LAWS OF OUR BANK STIMULATED THAT ANY ACCOUNT DORMANT MUST BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE NATIONAL TREASURE FUND.

BASE ON THIS I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE THE STATISTIC OF THIS TRANSACTION REQUIRED A FOREIGNER BECAUSE LATE MR JOHN KOROVO WAS A FOREIGNER AND THE FUND CAN ONLY APPROVED TO A FOREIGNER WITH VALID INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT OR DRIVING LICENSE AS WELL AS FOREIGN ACCOUNT DETAILS.

I ASSURED YOU THAT I HAVE PERFECTLY ARRANGED THIS TRANSACTION BEFORE I CONTACTED YOU AND WITH MY POSITION IN THE BANK THIS FUND IS GOING TO APPROVED ON YOUR BEHALF AND TRANSFERRED TO YOUR PROVIDED ACCOUNT. THE BANK OFFICIAL WILL PROVE YOU ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION NEEDED FOR THE TRANSFERRED OF THIS FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT IMMEDIATELY LEAVING NO TRACE TO ANY PLACE AND BUILD CONFIDENCE .

FURTHER MORE IN THIS CONTACT OF HELPING I NEED YOUR STRONG ASSURANCE THAT YOU WILL NOT CHEAT ME AS SOON AS THIS FUND TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT IN YOUR COUNTRY BECAUSE I WILL BE COMING OVER THERE AS SOON AS THIS FUND TRANSFERRED FOR THE SHARING OF THE MONEY.

ON THE CONCLUSION OF THIS TRANSACTION YOU ARE ENTITLE TO 30% OF THE TOTAL SUM AND 10% WILL BE SET OUT FOR EXPENSE ARISE DURING THE TRANSFERRED AND TELEPHONE BILL, THEN THE 60% REST WILL BE FOR ME.

SO ON THE SERIOUS NOTE OF YOUR WILLINGNESS TOWARD THIS TRANSACTION I WANT YOU TO INDICATE YOUR SELF BY SENDING :FULL NAME: SEX: COMPANY: FULL CONTACT ADDRESS: PHONE: CELL: FAX: CITY:STATE:ZIP CODE COUNTRY: OCCUPATION ON ACCEPTANCE TO CHAMPION THIS TRANSACTION WITH ME AND ON THE RECEIPT OF THIS INFORMATION NEEDED FROM YOU I WILL FORWARD YOU THE TEXT OF APPLICATION FORM WHICH YOU ARE GOING TO USE TO APPLY IN THE BANK FOR THE RELEASE OF THE FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT.
THANKS.

YOURS TRULY
GILBERT KABORE

Please note the spelling, and the information requested in the last paragraph — pretty obvious, eh? I traced this back to Belgrade (Yugoslavia). It has been rumored (wink) that there’s a hacker or two in that Former SSR.
I cannot figure out what they were thinking … I mean, everybody’s seen — and laughed at — this one. Right??? Maybe they’re counting on P.T. Barnum’s axiom?

There was another one that first appeared many years ago, and I had thought it had faded into History long ago…

Dear Beloved,
Due to the sudden death of my husband General Abacha the former head of state of Nigeria in June 1998, I have been thrown into a state of hopelessness by the present administration.I have lostconfidence with anybody within my country. I got your contacts through personal research, and had to reach you through this medium. I will give you more details when you reply.Due to security network placed on my daily affairs I cant visit the embassy so that is why I have contacted you. My husband deposited $12.6million dollars with a security firm abroad whose nameis witheld for now till we communicate. I will be happy if you can receive this funds and keep it safe I assure you 20% of this fund. I will need your telephone/mobile numbers so that we can commence communication.Yours Truely,
Hajia Mariam.

Tip of the day: Please, don’t be *naive*. Nobody is going to make you rich because you answer an email. But there are plenty of people who want to take your money. (If you have any extra money, the good folks here at Tech–for Everyone [me] will happily ease your burden!)

Today’s free link: Learn about, view phishing past-and-present, report, and help prevent phishing fraud. Visit Anti-Phishing.org.

Quote of the day: “We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse.” ~ unknown

Orig post: 8/4/07

Copyright 2007-2010 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

---

>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

---