My Days Are Numbered – Someone Wants Me Dead!

I sometimes wonder if it isn’t a prerequisite that Nigerian scammer wannabes are required to graduate “comedy school”, before they get their scammers license, and are set free to practice their newfound skills on the marginally intelligent.

In an updated twist on an old theme (the infamous 419 scam), Nigerian scammers have upped the ante in a variant of their usual email scam nonsense – the hitman, “I’m gonna kill you” email. These fear-provoking emails (at least they’re intended to be scary), contain a threat that the recipient will be murdered.

Hitman emails are not a new threat – they’ve  been circulating on the Internet since at least early in 2007. They come; they go, and come and go again.

There are many variations of this email, here’s one example received here yesterday. In this particular email, the scammer has bcc’d (blind carbon copied) any number of upcoming murder victims. Seems as if the murder/assassination business is a growth industry.  

You have been betrayed!!! It’s a pity that this how your life is going to come to an end as your death had already been paid for by someone who is very close to you from all investigations.

I have ordered 3 (three) of my men to monitor every move of you and make sure you are not out of sight till the date of your assassination. According to the report I gets, you seem to be innocent about what you have been accuse but I have no business with that, so that’s why am contacting you to know if truly you are innocent and how much you value your life.

Get back to me if you sure want to live on, ignore this mail only if you feel it’s a joke or just a threat. Don’t forget your days on earth are numbered, so you have the chance to live if only you will comply with me.

WARNING: Tell no one about this mail to you because he or she might just be the person who wants you dead, and if that happens, I will be aware and am going to make sure you DIE instantly.

I will give you every detail of where to be and how to take any actions be it legal or illegal, that’s only when I read from you. You need to stay calm and act unaware of this situation and follow instructions because any move you make that is suspicious; you will DIE as your days are numbered.

On a more serious note:

This scam illustrates the lengths to which these crooks will go to entrap the unwary and gullible. Unfortunately, the description “unwary and gullible”, is easily applied to substantial numbers of Internet users.

As an experienced and cautious Internet user, it’s safe to say that you will not be deceived by this type of clumsy attempt to defraud but, you might be surprised how often reasonably intelligent people are.

So, be kind to your friends, relatives, and associates, particularly those who are new Internet users, and let them know that there is an epidemic of 419 scams on the Internet. In doing so, you help raise the level of protection for all of us.

Government of Nigeria “tortures” 419 Scammers – If Only!

I’m not advocating the torture of cyber criminals and spam scam artists, although ….

This morning, when I received an email (ostensibly), from The Federal Government of Nigeria (The Advance Fee Fraud section), in which it was made clear that – “some scam Syndicates were apprehended in Lagos, Nigeria few days ago and after several interrogations and tortures, (my) details were among those mentioned by some of the scam Syndicates as one of the victims of their operations” , it momentarily entered my mind that torture might be an appropriate penalty. Especially for those involved in this latest “wolf in sheep’s clothing” scam.

I’ve covered the wolf in sheep’s clothing scam here a number of times, including

1051 Site Dr. Brea, CA – Not An Address You Want To Go To!

A Helpful Spam Scammer – A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

This particular spam scam is highly instructive, and it illustrates the lengths to which these crooks will go to entrap the unwary and gullible. Unfortunately, the description “unwary and gullible”, is easily applied to substantial numbers of Internet users.

As an experienced and cautious Internet user, it’s safe to say that you will not be deceived by this type of clumsy attempt to defraud but, you might be surprised how often reasonably intelligent people are. So, be kind to your friends, relatives, and associates, particularly those who are new Internet users, and let them know that there is an epidemic of this types of scam on the Internet. In doing so, you help raise the level of protection for all of us.

For reference, I’ve included the full text of this “torturous” email, which contains the usual spelling, grammar, punctuation, and layout errors.

EFCC FRAUD UNIT

Attention,
The Federal Government of Nigeria through provisions in Section 419 of the
Criminal Code came up with punitive measures to deter and punish
offenders.The Advance Fee Fraud section deal mainly with cases of advance
fee fraud(commonly called 419) such as obtaining by false pretence through
different fraudulent schemes e.g. contract scam, credit card scam,
inheritance scam, job scam, loan scam, lottery scam, “wash wash” scam (money
washing scam), marriage scam. Immigration scam, counterfeiting and religious
scam. It also investigates cyber crime cases.
This is to officially announce to you that some scam Syndicates were
apprehended in Lagos, Nigeria few days ago and after several interrogations
and tortures your details were among those mentioned by some of the scam
Syndicates as one of the victims of their operations.
After proper investigations and research at Western Union Money Transfer and
Money Gram office to know if you have truly sent money to the scam
Syndicates through Western Union Money Transfer or Money Gram, your name was
found in Western Union Money Transfer database amongst those that have sent
money through Western Union Money Transfer to Nigeria and this proves that
you have truly been swindled by those unscrupulous persons by sending money
to them in the course of getting one fund or the other that is not real,
right now we are working hand in hand with Western Union and Interpol to
track every fraudsters down, do not respond to their e-mails, letters and
phone calls any longer they are scammers and you should be very careful to
avoid being a victim to fraudsters any longer because they have nothing to
offer you but to rip-off what you have worked hard to earn.
In this regard a meeting was held between the Board of Directors of The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and as a consequence of our
investigations it was agreed that the sum of Two hundred thousand US Dollars
(US$200,000) should be transferred to you out of the funds that Federal
Government of Nigeria has set aside as a compensation to everyone who have
by one way or the other sent money to fraudsters in Nigeria.
We have deposited your fund at Western Union Money Transfer agent location
EMS Post office Lagos, Nigeria. We have submitted your details to them so
that your fund can be transferred to you.
Contact the Western Union agent office through the email address stated
below inform them about this notification letter and the transfer of your
fund;
Email:wu_payingdept@qatar.io
Yours sincerely,
Sarah White (Miss)
Assistant Investigation Officer.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
15A Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Nigeria
http://www.efccnigeria.org
******************************************************************

Please note that some fraudsters are claiming to be Directors or staff of
The Ecomomic and Financial Crimes Commission have recently been sending
phony e-mails/letters and also calling unsuspecting persons, with intent to
defraud them. It is important to note that these fraudsters are criminals
engaged in Advanced Fee Fraud known in Nigeria as 419. Every day, people
throughout the world are falling victim to scams of one kind or another. But
remember – if it sounds too good to be true, it is probably a scam. In the
circumstance, we unreservedly advice you to dissociate yourselve from all
correspondence and transactions entered into based on evidently fraudulent
and fictitious claims.
********************************************************************

“This e-Mail may contain proprietary and confidential information and is sent for the
intended recipient(s) only. If, by an addressing or transmission error, this mail has been
misdirected to you, you are requested to delete this mail immediately. You are also
hereby notified that any use, any form of reproduction, dissemination, copying,
disclosure, modification, distribution and/or publication of this e-mail message, contents
or its attachment(s), other than by its intended recipient(s), is strictly prohibited. Any
opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual and not necessarily of the
organization. Before opening attachment(s), please scan for viruses.”
All business handled under Standard Trading Conditions. Copy available on request.
********************************************************************

Just to be clear, as a strong supporter of Amnesty International, any references I made to torture were for effect, only.

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1051 Site Dr. Brea, CA – Not An Address You Want To Go To!

Back in July 2009, I wrote an article “A Helpful Spam Scammer – A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”, which discussed how scammers rely on an apparent “truth” to convince unwary, or unsophisticated surfers, to buy into a scam designed to entrap victims of previous scams.

You would think the principal of “once burned – twice shy” might have impact; but apparently not. The World, it seems, is full of people who are ready to be shorn, not once – but, twice or more.

I have a hard time getting my head around the idea, that people can act so irrationally, they can be convinced to part with their money a second time, in what amounts to a slightly off kilter version of the same scam.

Scammers are not fools, by any stretch of the imagination, and they pursue time proven cyber-crime methods. And so, the following scam email, plucked from one of my inboxes this morning, is representative of the “we’re gonna screw you twice” emails, currently flooding the Internet. Just like most of these type of emails, this one contains the usual spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors.

Dear Friend,

I am Mrs. Alice Hall. I am a US citizen and i am 48 years Old. I reside
here in 1051 Site Dr.Brea, CA 92821 USA. and i am thinking of
relocating since I am now rich.

I am one of those that took part in the United Nations Compensation
program in Nigeria many years ago and they refused to pay me. I had
paid over $20,000 while in the US, trying to get my payment but all
was to no avail.

So I decided to travel down to Nigeria with all my compensation
documents, And I was directed to meet Barrister Richard Anderson, who is
the member of COMPENSATION AWARD AUTHORITY and a Human Rights Activist (Lawyer), and I contacted him and he explained everything to me. He said whoever is contacting us through emails are fake.

Right now, I am the happiest woman on earth because I have received my
compensation funds of $850,000.00. Moreover, Barrister Richard Anderson
showed me the full information of those that are yet to receive their
payments and I saw your email as one of the beneficiaries who have not
yet received the payment under CASE FILE 54AC003 and that is why I decided to email you to stop dealing with those people which never fulfill their
promises of helping you. They are not with your fund, they are only
making money off you.

Therefore, I would advise you to contact Barrister Richard Anderson for
his assistance and inform him that your CASE FILE is 54AC003. Contact him
directly via the information below.

Name : Barrister Richard Anderson
Email:barrister.mike.edward009@gmail.com
Telephone: +234-8131387018

You really have to stop dealing with those people that are contacting you and telling you that your fund is with them, it is not in anyway with them, they are only taking advantage of you and they will dry you up until you have nothing.

The only money I paid after I met Barrister Richard Anderson was just $350 for the paper works, take note of that.

Thank You and Be Blessed.
Mrs. Alice Hall
Trustee/Treasurer, Triad Foundation Inc.
1051 Site Dr.Brea, CA 92821 USA
Education: BS, Business Administration

As unbelievable as it may sound – there are some people, somewhere, who will believe this nonsense. After all, we don’t normally expect to be deceived by someone who gives us fair warning. You might be surprised, just how often reasonably intelligent people are deceived by this type of clumsy attempt to defraud.

Be kind to your friends, relatives, and associates, particularly those who are new Internet users, and let them know that there is an epidemic of this types of scam on the Internet. In doing so, you help raise the level of protection for all of us.

Ask your friends, relatives, and associates to keep the following tips in mind  while on the Internet:

Don’t click links in emails or social networking sites. If they come from a known source, type them on the browser’s address bar. If they come from an untrusted source, simply ignore them.

Don’t run files that you receive via email without making sure of their origin.

Keep your computer protected. Install a security solution and keep it up-to-date.

If you’re wondering why I’d even bother writing an article on a scheme that sounds so ludicrous – here’s why. The previous article on this topic continues to get substantial daily reads, most of which are as a direct result of Google searches. So, if surfers are searching, then there’s some degree of interest in responding to this type of email – crazy as that may be.

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Who Is Dany Ibrahim And Why Is He Giving You Money!

The quick answer is – Dany Ibrahim is one of the most prolific fraudulent spammers on the Internet, and a master of the 419 email scam. Good old Dany wants to screw you out of your hard earned money. But first, Dany wants to give you millions of dollars and all you have to do is, involve yourself in a fraud.

Even though the the majority of seasoned computer users (I hope), are familiar with the infamous “419” or advance fee fraud scam, in which the victim is encouraged to sent money to the scammer, with the promise they will realize a significant gain, this scam is becoming ever more popular. Our friend Dany, for example, has been around forever – and he never seems to quit!

Here’s an edited version of Dany’s latest scam attempt.

Dear Friend,

I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($15) Million US Dollars only to your account within 10 or 14 banking days. This money has been dormant for years in our Bank without claim.I want the bank to release the money to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer late Mr Andrew Eich.  I don’t want the money to go into government treasury as an abandoned fund. So this is the reason why I am contacting you so that the bank can release the money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer.

Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not interested.Upon receipt of your reply, I will give you full details on how the business will be executed and also note that you will have 30% of the above mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business with me. I am expecting your urgent response as soon as you receive my message.

Regard,

Mr. Dany Ibrahim.

If you’re sick and tired of getting scam emails like this in your inbox, and you’re looking for ways to fight back against these creepy criminals (and, have a little fun besides), then checkout Scammer Baiting Hints and Tips, at the 419 Eater website. Just to be clear, I’m not recommending that you become an anti-scam crusader, but…

I know that you won’t be deceived by this type of clumsy attempt to defraud, but you would be surprised how often reasonably intelligent people are – there are people who will believe this nonsense.

Be kind to your friends, relatives, and associates, particularly those who are new Internet users, and let them know that there is an epidemic of this types of scam on the Internet. In doing so, you help raise the level of protection for all of us.

How gullible can people be? When Michael Jackson died, I wrote a piece entitled “Hey Sucker – Read This! Michael Jackson’s Not Dead!”, simply as a test of “curiosity exploitation”.

The results that followed were astonishing – within days, this article was getting 1,000’s of daily hits. Even today, this article continues to get hits. Talk about gullible people!

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419 Scammers Are NOT Harmless – US Woman Kidnapped by Scammers

My friend Dar, someone who is familiar, I’m sure, to regular readers of my Tech Net News column, has just passed on the following news report from South Africa, in which it was reported that an American woman was kidnapped by 419 scammers.

Even though the the majority of seasoned computer users (I hope), are familiar with the infamous “419” or advance fee fraud scam, in which the victim is encouraged to sent money to the scammer, with the promise they will realize a significant gain, this type of scam is every bit as popular as ever.

Just a few days ago, I wrote on this type of scam in Email Scammers Threaten to Have Me Charged with Money Laundering.

The following news report indicates just how far these 419 scammers are prepared to go in their hunt for illicit gain – ransomeware in the flesh!

Johannesburg – South African News 24. The Hawks arrested four people implicated in a 419 scam at the weekend after they allegedly held a US woman hostage for nearly a month, an official said on Monday.

“Police believe the four lured the US citizen with a promise that she had won $1.06m (R8m),” Hawks spokesperson Musa Zondi said.

The gang started scamming her last year and fleeced $60 000 from her between April and July.

She was told to come to South Africa in person to claim her prize and bring $2, 000. “She duly came and on arrival on April 15, they took her hostage from the airport and kept her in a house for well over a month.

To read the rest of this story go here.

Unfortunately, not all of us, when we are on the Internet, LOOK – really look. Not all of us recognize, “the wolf in sheep’s clothing” email scam. Spam scammers rely on this to defraud those of us who don’t.

I would like to say that I feel sorry for this woman – that I pity her. But I’m having a difficult time seeing her innocence in this. She was as bloody stupid as one person can be, in my estimation.

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