You've probably seen this scenario in your email box a few times. Someone has lots of money they can't get to, and wants your help in securing it. Just send a reply, and that'll start the wheels turning.
But these can be sniffed out a mile away. They're usually from someone in Nigeria, or some other third-world country.
I received another one of these scam notes in my email, with a different angle to it. Instead of someone claiming royal blood in some country most people can't find on a map, this one looks all-American. Like, from a U.S. serviceman:
"I am Capt. Bruce Evan Roberts, with the US Navy Joint Special Operations,USS COLORADO around Gulf of Aden, I have $9Million US Dollars in my possession,which was seized/confiscated from somalia pirates between Yemen and Somalia Waters in Gulf of Aden, we want to move the funds out of the USS COLORADO around Gulf of Aden to a secure location to enable you assist us in investing it in a profit oriented business."
But these can be sniffed out a mile away. They're usually from someone in Nigeria, or some other third-world country.
I received another one of these scam notes in my email, with a different angle to it. Instead of someone claiming royal blood in some country most people can't find on a map, this one looks all-American. Like, from a U.S. serviceman:
"I am Capt. Bruce Evan Roberts, with the US Navy Joint Special Operations,USS COLORADO around Gulf of Aden, I have $9Million US Dollars in my possession,which was seized/confiscated from somalia pirates between Yemen and Somalia Waters in Gulf of Aden, we want to move the funds out of the USS COLORADO around Gulf of Aden to a secure location to enable you assist us in investing it in a profit oriented business."
And here's the pitch:
"I need someone I can trust to actualize this venture, you will receive this funds through a secured US Military Delivery Freight duly authorized/legalize by Middle East Regional Command. The funds would be kept for us safely by you until I am discharge of my duties here in the USS COLORADO around Gulf of Aden by January 2010. Do respond back to me indicating your response so I can further discussions with you on the safe movement of the funds out of here and how much commission you shall be entitled to from the $9Million. Please do respond to my personal e-mail: brucerobertss@hotmail.co.uk ..."
A couple of obvious red flags. The letter did not come from his personal email box, but from mr.frankies@att.net -- and it's sent to "undisclosed recipients." Even inspecting the source HTML code of the letter doesn't provide any more information than that.
And then, the gist of the letter was enough of a warning. My personal bullscat detector, well, the needle was buried in the red.
Hey, uh, Captain Bruce, baby (if that's who you are). I'd like to extend the same advice I once offered in an online forum after someone responded to my opinions by flaming my shorts off: You just might want to check to see if your identity has been stolen lately. Some jerkface is using your name.
As for y'all email recipients, it goes like this. Despite the American-as-pizza-pie, score-one-for-our-country trappings in the letter, treat it the same as when some Nigerian gazillionaire or Moroccan princess or Venezuelan dictator offers a share in the booty via email. To wit:
See that key on the upper right of your keyboard, the one marked DEL over there? Yeah, that one. It's made for emails like that. Use it with extreme prejudice.
Supporting our troops doesn't include falling into some scam that's using the name of one of our servicemen.
"I need someone I can trust to actualize this venture, you will receive this funds through a secured US Military Delivery Freight duly authorized/legalize by Middle East Regional Command. The funds would be kept for us safely by you until I am discharge of my duties here in the USS COLORADO around Gulf of Aden by January 2010. Do respond back to me indicating your response so I can further discussions with you on the safe movement of the funds out of here and how much commission you shall be entitled to from the $9Million. Please do respond to my personal e-mail: brucerobertss@hotmail.co.uk ..."
A couple of obvious red flags. The letter did not come from his personal email box, but from mr.frankies@att.net -- and it's sent to "undisclosed recipients." Even inspecting the source HTML code of the letter doesn't provide any more information than that.
And then, the gist of the letter was enough of a warning. My personal bullscat detector, well, the needle was buried in the red.
Hey, uh, Captain Bruce, baby (if that's who you are). I'd like to extend the same advice I once offered in an online forum after someone responded to my opinions by flaming my shorts off: You just might want to check to see if your identity has been stolen lately. Some jerkface is using your name.
As for y'all email recipients, it goes like this. Despite the American-as-pizza-pie, score-one-for-our-country trappings in the letter, treat it the same as when some Nigerian gazillionaire or Moroccan princess or Venezuelan dictator offers a share in the booty via email. To wit:
See that key on the upper right of your keyboard, the one marked DEL over there? Yeah, that one. It's made for emails like that. Use it with extreme prejudice.
Supporting our troops doesn't include falling into some scam that's using the name of one of our servicemen.
###
Posts
4 comments:
I've got one as well , another story though but from the same adress : mr.frankies@att.net
Thanks for your post , I just needed to be certain I'm dealing with a scammer , now I am !
Another adress he/she use : frankhamilts@msn.com
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Mr. Frank H."
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:58:15 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re
To:
Dear Friend,
Good evening to you, I am a doctor working in the Middle East and I would like to invest in your country as a foreign investor and I would like to know what investment opportunities are in there in your country? I am seeking your assistance to manage my investment either as my investment manager or we can as well invest together as partners in any business investment you can manage and handle effectively. I wait to hear from you so we can discuss further about this and get a mutual understanding of ourselves. Kindly respond back to me via e-mail;- frankadenn@msn.com
Dr. Hamilton F.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Frank Hamilton
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:23:36 +0000
Subject: More Details
To:
Dear Partner,
Thank you for your response, I got your e-mail on the internet on a search for whom to handle this transaction perfectly with me, I decided to send you this e-mail for my proposal. I am a trained Chemist and a Top official in the Iraq Printing and Minting before the war broke out. I was hired by the late Saddam Hussein and his military officials (team), for the chemical re conversion of US dollar bills that were brought into Iraq under hidden circumstances by powerful Arab Nationals who where out to give financial support to the late Saddam Hussein's war against the USA. The said dollar bills are presently in the form of BONDED re-tractable negative 156.01 and I was hired to chemically reconvert it to de A1 135 Neon Proof Mint Stage which is the normal dollar bills used in the money market today. The US Dollar bills were deliberately defaced by the Military officials to elude detection at airport check points and scanning and facilitate the importation into Iraq.
The Military officials who hired me all died during the war and the protected box containing the total sum of Eleven Million Dollars (US$11,000,000.00) awaiting chemical re conversion process was abandoned in my custody by the late military officials. Saddam Hussein until his death believed that the box was destroyed along side his military top officials. As a result of this, I now have in my exclusive control a total sum of (US$11,000,000.00) eleven million dollars in BONDED re-tractable negative 156.01. This transaction is fact known to me alone and as such must be kept confidential just between the both of us. The (US$11,000,000.00) eleven million dollars Bills in Cash in BONDED re-tractable negative 156.01 now needs only a chemical reconversion to grade A1 135 Neon Proof Mint Stage so the bills can be valid, recognized and used in the money market once chemically processed.
For us to be able to chemically reconvert this bills, first the bills has to be moved out of Iraq through very diplomatic secured and safe means to a near by country or your country where the bills chemical conversion process can be done at ease, secured and safe. I shall give you 35% and 5% shall be kept aside for expenses and I shall have 60%. From my 60% I will invest in your country any good business and you shall be my investor manager and from any profit we get from my investment each year you shall have 30% from the profit. Be totally guaranteed that this transaction shall not bring any risk or harm to you, me or any member of our family now and in the future. For us to commence with this transaction, kindly respond to my e-mail notifying me of your interest and also provide me with your age, telephone number, present occupation and any picture of you. I have attached my family pictures herein this e-mail and I hope you will send me yours upon your response. This transaction should be kept confidential at all times because I am presently working with the financial body of Iraq and I would not want the leakage of this information so it does not jeopardize my present work.
Dr. Frank Hamilton
Post a Comment