I wonder if it will ever end? The one million dollars you can get by sending a mere $1,000 dollars to some poor soul in Nigeria. I must be a very popular person over there since so many people want to send me money! Then all of the sudden I am also qualified for all this great loands if I just pay up front. Who knew money was so easy to come by? I thought I would include a recent email I got ( I particularly enjoy the gmail part of it) that I put below. How lucky am I!
From: ######
Remittance Manager
######
Phone Number:#######
Email: hsbc.###@gmail.com
Attention:Beneficiary
This is to officially inform you that we have verified your contract file presently on my desk, and I found out that you have not received your payment due to your lack of co-operation and not fulfilling the obligations giving to you in respect to your contract payment. Secondly, you are hereby adviced to stop dealing with some non-officials in the bank as this is an illegal act and will have to stop if you so wish to receive your payment immediately.After the board meeting held at our headquarters, we have resolved in finding a solution to your problem, and as you may know, we have arranged your payment through our SWIFT CARD PAYMENT CENTRE in Europe, America,Africa and Asia Pacific, which is the instruction given by our Prime Minsiter, Tony Blair of United Kingdom. And this instruction is still ask to be carried out by the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain Dr James Gordon Brown MP This card centre will send you an ATM CARD which you will use to with!
draw your but the maximum is ($20,000.00) Thousand Us Dollars per transaction. So, if you like to receive your fund this way,
(1) Full Name as wanted on Card:
(2) Address where you want the payment centre to send your ATM CARD.(NO P O BOX):
(3) Phone And Fax Number:
(4) Date Of Birth:
(5) Occupation:
(6) Bank Name:
SEND THE ABOVE INFORMATION TO : #### @gmail.com
Note:Your code shall be (CARD 4305:2008)Make this code your reference number when contacting us.Failure to do so might cause delay in getting back to you, And we shall be expecting to receive your information, you have stop any further communication with anybody or office. On this regards, do not hesitate to contact me for more details and direction, and also please do update me with any new development.
Thanks for your co-operation.
Best Regards,
#####
Remittance Manager
#####
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Kris, sounds like you and the spammers might have attended the same English grammar classes?
Lol. I get these scams in my inbox everyday. Don't they know by now people are on to them. I got a similar letter on the 17th of April. Here it is below. What a joke.
HSBC Bank ATM
RE: YOUR PAYMENT NOTIFICATION
From: Michael Smith
Remittance Manager
HSBC Bank Plc.
Email: michael_smith0009@yahoo.co.uk
This is to officially inform you that we have verified
your contractfile presently on my desk, and I found out that you have not
received your payment due to your lack of co-operation and not fulfilling the
obligations given to you in respect of your contract payment. This instruction
is still asked to be carried out by the new Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom, Dr James Gordon Brown .
Therefore, we are happy to inform you that an
arrangement has perfectly been concluded to effect your payment as soon as
possible in our bid to be transparent.However, it is our pleasure to
inform you
that your ATM Card Number; 5301 23645120 6002 has been approved and
upgraded in
your favor.Meanwhile, your Secret Pin Number will be available as soon as you
confirm to us the receipt of your ATM CARD.
Your ATM Card Value is $200,000 USD Only. You are
advised that a maximum withdrawal value of US$5,000.00 is permitted
daily.And we
are duly inter-switched and you can make withdrawal in any location of the ATM
Center of your choice/nearest to you any where in the world.
We have also concluded delivery arrangement with our
accredited courier service Company to oversee the delivery of the ATM Card to
you without any further delay.So you are hereby adviced to forward
your names in
full and your receiving mailing address and also your private telephone number
for easy communication to enable us proceed without any further delay.
(1) Full Name as wanted on Card:
(2) Address where you want the payment centre to send your ATM CARD (NO
P O BOX):
(3) Phone And Fax Number:
(4) Date Of Birth:
(5) Occupation:
Regards
Michael Smith
Remittance Manager
HSBC Bank Plc.
Unfortunately many people still fall for these scams. Us security (or highly educated) people, we know better. By the way, has anyone tried replying to those with fake information to see what happens? Is there any way to safely strike back? ie, heard about one investigator sent a bad check to them, another actually fooled a scammer into sending money and waste time on create a video audition for a job offer.
In a moment of boredom I replied to this very same email, and struck up a conversation. The scammer actually sent me a mocked up VISA card, complete with my 'name' on. I claimed that it wasnt legible and asked him to fax a blown up image to me - I gave him a fax number at the FBI or something. I just really liked the idea of getting the guy to fax images of fake credit cards to the feds. I have no way of knowing if he really did it of course, he claimed he did, and I claimed it never turned up so hopefully he sent a few copies.
I also realised I am indirectly fax-spamming the FBI but as its technically a crime (I'm sure!) I hope the focus wasnt on me.
The email came from that same hsbc.*@gmail account as well. Google could block emails like that i'm sure. TBH, no one would really mind if they just blocked an IP originating in Nigeria. Well, except the nigerians i'm sure. Maybe adding a 5 second delay to all email would slow down spammers enough to stop them using gmail.
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