Scambusters, Preventing Internet Scams & Phishing Attempts

This blog is dedicated to help preventing internet fraud and internet scams. Scambusters was a radio show I started in Albany Oregon, but due to defaulted payment by the radio station we took the show offline. Regardless of this issue we still wish to help prevent internet fraud and save people from internet loss. I have been interviewed and featured in various publications such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times & Daily News, The London Times & AARP Newsletters. Please watch this blog for latest tips and tricks and scams to avoid.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

YOU JUST WON THE CANADIAN LOTTERY === SCAM

One would think if they had all this money to give away they could afford a domain and a real email address, not a free hotmail one. We know all real companies use hotmail for their secure communication.

------------

REFERENCE NUMBER EAAL/9080118308/04.
WINNING NUMBER : 2 6 20 23 38 45 Bonus 24
BATCH NUMBERS : B9564 7560 4545 100

To claim your winning prize you are to contact the appointed claims agent below as soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings with your full below details

REV.CANE SHAWS
TEL: +2348037560976
Email: revcane.shawscana2008@hotmail.com

1) Your Full Name:
2) Contact Address:
3) Tel/Mobile Number:
4) Occupation:
5) Sex:
6) Age:
7) Nationality

Note: Any prize not claimed on or before 15days from the date of draw will have his or her prize forfeited and terminated.

Congratulations once again from all our staff.

Mrs Anna Edward

Secretary

AGENT: MARTIN FREEMAN UK Lottery Powerball Win Scam

I gladly inform you this is a scam!

1m Euro's, wow.. can get a couple tanks of petrol :)

___

We gladly inform you that your e-mail just won One Million(1,000 000 )euro in the POWERBALL LOTTERY program organized in the UNITED KINGDOM.

NAME OF AGENT: MARTIN FREEMAN
CITY/ COUNTRY: LONDON, ENGLAND
EMAIL: martin.freeman3@live.com
TELEPHONE: +447031916239

Sincerely,
John Rumford
LOTTO CO-ORDINATOR.

MR.MICHAEL ADDO - Nigerian Bank Scam - etc..

OUCH, hurts to read this run on mess of a scam. I love how the "Christian" part is supposed to eliminate the "scam" and make us want to trust them.

Would a Regional Bank Manager write such garble? NO.. just a bad scam.

-------------

REPLY AS DIRECTED

- DEAR FRIEND, MY NAME IS MR.MICHAEL ADDO, I AM THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK GHANA LTD,IN TAKORADI. I WRITE YOU THIS PROPOSAL IN GOOD FAITH, I AM 43 YEARS OLD MARRIED WITH TWO KIDS. I AM A DEVOTED CHRISTIAN AND A MAN OF PEACE. I HAVE PACKAGED A FINANCIAL TRANSACTION THAT WILL BENEFIT YOU AND ME,AS THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK IT IS MY DUTY TO SEND IN A FINANCIAL REPORT TO MY HEAD OFFICE IN THE CAPITAL CITY ACCRA AT THE END OF EACH BUSINESS YEAR. ON THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR BUSINESS REPORT , I DISCOVERED THAT MY BRANCH IN WHICH I AM THE MANAGER MADE NINE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND, US DOLLARS ( $9,500,000.00 ) WHICH MY HEAD OFFICE ARE NOT AWARE OF AND WILL NEVER BE AWARE OF.I HAVE PLACED THIS FUNDS ON WHAT WE CALL ESCROW ACCOUNT WITH NO BENEFICIARY. AS AN OFFICER OF THIS BANK I CANNOT BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THIS MONEY, SO MY AIM OF CONTACTING YOU IS TO ASSIST ME RECEIVE THIS MONEY IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AND GET 30% OF THE TOTAL FUNDS AS COMMISSION. THERE ARE PRACTICALLY NO RISK INVOLVED, IT WILL BE A BANK TO BANK TRANSFER, AND ALL I NEED FROM YOU IS TO STAND AND CLAIM AS THE ORIGINAL DEPOSITOR OF THIS FUND WHO MADE THE DEPOSIT WITH MY BRANCH SO THAT MY HEAD OFFICE CAN ORDER THE TRANSFER TO YOUR DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT. IF YOU ACCEPT TO WORK WITH ME I WILL BE APPRECIATED. REPLY ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, IF YOU THINK WE CAN WORK TOGETHER,SO THAT WE MOVE OVER TO THE DETAILS. I WILL PROVIDE MY PHONE AND FAX NUMBERS ON YOUR REQUEST.THANK YOU IN ADVANCE AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. YOURS TRULY, MR. MICHAEL ADDO.

Mrs. Esther Tsikata Nigerian Scam

Attn: Nobody? Not even Attention Loved One, Attention Friend, Attention Idiot? Give me something, at least personalize the scam.


---------

Attn:

I am Mrs. Esther Tsikata, wife of the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. My Husband Mr.Tsatsu Tsikata, was jailed five years for willfully because of financial loss to the state. Why I contacted you is that I want you to help me execute USD$28,000,000.00 which my husband was deposited in a security company before the problem started. I will like to move this money to your country on your acceptance so then I will fly to your country and meet you with my children. Please if you can be able to assist me as a partnership then send me your telephone number so that we can discuss more about it.

My Regards,
Mrs. Esther Tsikata.

Nigerian Money Scam - MR.YAMEOGO SERI

Why is it that if they know we are the nearest relative, they don't know our names and have to ask for all the info in the email? Not even a good scam..

Also what is this with asking "Religion?" What does that have to do with transferring money anyway? Plus the want our "informations" (sic)

----------

FROM THE DESK OF MR.YAMEOGO SERI.
DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF AUDITING
AND ACCOUNTING SECTION
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO,
WEST AFRICA.

DIRECT TELEPHONE NO: 00 226 78 34 79 67.

Dear Friend,

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise as we never met before. I am the Director in charge of Auditing section of Bank of African(B.O.A), I Hoped that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that I am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our both families. I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of Twenty-Two Million and Six Hundred Thousand united state dollars ($22.600 000mUSD) Immediately to your account.

The fund has been dormant (in-active) for 10 years in our Bank here without any body coming for it. I want to release the fund to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer (the owner of the account) who died a long with his supposed next of kin in air crash since on February 16, 1998. I don't want the fund to go into our Bank treasury as an abandoned fund, so this is the reason why I contacted you, so that my Bank will release the fund to you as the nearest person 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 send you the application form you will fill and send to the bank for transfer of the fund into your bank account and also note that you will have 40% of the above mentioned amount if you agree to help me execute this business. And also 10% had been mapped out for you for the expense you will make in this transaction and 50% is for me. I need you information so that I will send you the application form.

YOUR FULL INFORMATIONS
YOUR NAME.
YOUR HOME ADDRESSES.
CITY.
COUNTRY.
HOME TELEPHONE.
PRIVATE TELEPHONE.
FAX NO.
MARITAL STATUS.
AGE.
OCCUPATION.
RELIGION.

Waiting for your urgent call so that we will starts immediately.

Best Regards,
MR.YAMEOGO SERI.
+226 78 34 79 67
(B.O.A) BANK OF AFRICA .

Reverse Nigerian Scam - FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF NIGERIA

Nice little reverse scam, pretending to be from the Nigerian Government to return lost / stolen funds. However this is the scam, no different than the normal Nigerian scams. It will ask you to pay an advance, or funds or taxes on the return money or something else to get you to send them money before they send you the money they promised you. The other option is they will send you a check, asking you do deposit and send the balance or a % back to them or another source, whereas the check is fake and will bounce AFTER you wire the funds. Avoid at all cost.

I do like that the Nigerian Government has a Japanese Yahoo Email Address!

-----------


FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF NIGERIA.
Attn: Beneficiary


This to acknowledge you that your e-mail address was found among the list of foreigner that have been scammed by Nigerian Fraudster. It might interest you to know that we have signed an agreement with the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT during our first meeting this year with our PRESIDENT Commander In-Chief Federal Republic of Nigeria, ALHAJI UMARU MUSA YAR'ADUA and the FBI to fight against this and to return all contract funds that has been stolen and people who has been scammed too.A total sum of ($3.5million) united state dollars in cash has been set aside for compensation which will be delivered to your door step by an accredited diplomatic courier.


Note that the only office/chamber you are to contact prior to the delivery of your fund, is , which is currently been headed by the Bank Manager Mr. Omoyeni further advised to deal directly with him and do what so ever you are asked to do because that is the only way you will achieve the success in the wire of your funds to you as designated:Endeavor to contact the chamber in charges which is currently been headed by Barrister Sir Martins Freeman.You are further advised to deal directly with him and do what so ever you are asked to do because that is the only way you will achieve the success in the delivery of your funds to you as designated:


Name: Barrister Sir David Martins.
Private E-mail Address: davidmartins_chamber08@yahoo.co.jp
Direct Telephone: +234-8066186601 For more information on how to make sure your fund is delivered to you, get back with the below information:


Your home address.......
Telephone number..........
Your occupation...........
Country....................... .
Zip code.......................
Any form of identification of yourself........


Please we demand an urgent response prior to this matter and to work with us
to enable track those Miscreants and send their information to the FBI to
carry out actions in the US immediately because those Miscreants have some
agent all over the country and we are now working with the internet
operation such as YAHOOMAIL, HOTMAIL,AOL,the Nigeria police and also the
Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) so that the scam can be
eradicated in this country, hence i want you to follow your fund code which
below, which is given to you by the high court of Nigeria(NG29820FGN).


You are to keep this code for security purposes. Note that every
beneficiary will be responsible for shipping fees which cannot be deducted
from the fund because there is a bond holding the consignment that stated
that only the sole beneficiary of the fund is permitted to open it after it
has been sealed by the foreign payment department. The shipping fee is only
$550.usd. Also note that the federal high Court here will alert the united
state bureau and also your state police immediately your shipment leave the
shore of Nigeria so as to avoid any restriction and problem when the fund
get to its port of destination.


Thanks. Best Regard.
Dr. Miller Smith
Director Federal High Court Of Nigeria.

Obama Charity Win Scam - Barack Obama-Organization

As with the lottery scams, this one is 100% the same except it is using the Obama Campaign as the paying source.

----
Barack Obama-Organization, Iowa
London/Germany Extension Office
Foreign Relations Committee
Address:20 Bedford Row
London WC1R 4JH, England.

Revised Oct. 10, 2008
OBAMA FOR AMERICA:
This electronic mail is to inform you that you have won the sum of £500,000.00 [FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING (GBP)] in the just concluded UK/Germany Barack Obama campaign [CHARITY] extension network held in London.

The result of our computer draw (#978) selected your email address attached to:
Voters Card Number: 58775600545
Serial Number : 3168/10
Batch Number: 074/05/BO457
Reference Number: Dem/2008/11781/

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £500,000.00 [FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING (GBP)] in cash credited to file KTU/8823118308/07. Participants were selected through a computer e-mail ballot system drawn from a pool of over 25,000 names drawn from Europe, America, Asia, Australia, Middle-East and parts of Africa as part of our international charity program conducted to encourage the supporters of President Barack Obama — Democrat Barack Obama.

Contact the remittance department below to process/forward your prize to you.
***************************************
Name: Mr. Mark Belvin
Contact E-mail: obamaextention1@live.com
***************************************
Please provide him with the below information for verification:
E -ticket Number: 58775600545
==========================
Full Names:
Address:
Date of Birth:
Telephone/Fax number:
Nationality:
Marital Status:
Age:
Occupation:

Note that, all claims process and clearance procedures must be kept confidential until your winning funds is transferred to you and duly completed early to avoid impersonation or double claiming. All claims should be made before 4th NOV. 2008 [United States presidential election of 2008]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Truly Yours,

Mr. David Plouffe,
CAMPAIGN MANAGER,
BARACK OBAMA CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE.
Copyright ©, 2008 UK/GERMANY BARACK OBAMA ORGANIZATION INC.
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.9.10/1814 - Release Date: 11/27/2008 9:02 AM

Award Scam Mrs T. Groenwoud AWARD WINNER_URGENT RESPONSE

We have covered international Lottery scams on many occasions, this is no different, there are no international lotteries, there are no drawing, there are no anon winners, this is 100% fraud and you will be asked to either send the taxes in advance or cash a check and wire the taxes, either way you will lose money out of your account.

----------
AWARD WINNER_URGENT RESPONSE
Koningin Julianaplein 21, 2391 BD
Denhaag, The Netherlands
(Award affiliate with Subscriber Agents).
From: Mrs T. Groenwoud (Award Co-ordinator)
website: www.lotto.nl


The gaming board (LOTTO.NL) is pleased to inform you of the result of the online award program held on the the 6th of October 2008. Your E-mail address attached to NL number # 2972117 and online number # 1453128, was awarded the sum of $1,500,000.00 US Dollars. This program is organized to promote special internet products like online banking etc.


This draws was conducted formally and winners were selected through a special internet ballot system from 40,000 individuals and companies E-mail addresses.


To avoid double claim you are strictly advised to keep your winning numbers confidential. Details on how to transfer your award to you will be given when you contact the paying bank. For immediate release of your winnings please complete the form below and send it to the E-mail address of the paying bank stated below:


*************************************************************
(i) Name:
(ii) Contact telephone and fax numbers :
(iii) Contact Address :
(iv) Winning numbers (NL number # 2972117, online number # 1453128)
(v) Awarded amount; $1,500,000.00 US Dollars
(Vi) Awarded E-mail address
(vii) Notification date: 9th of October, 2008
*************************************************************


Contact person: Online Account officer
E-mail: direktbnkn_nl03@live.nl
Tel: Tel: +31 644 084 302
Calling hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00am-4:00pm


NOTE: If English is not your first language and you have problems understanding this e-mail, please visit this website(http://babelfish.altavista.com/), you will be able to translate this mail in several other languages.