WARNING: Member fraud

iBrian

iBrian

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I've just received a PM to my inbox - from the member named kibrahim - they are basically propagating a known fraud known as "The Nigerian Scam".

It basically involves a man claiming to be a treasurer of millions of dollars - usually from an African nation (originally it was all purportedly based in Nigeria) - who now is offering a signficant percentage of these funds to anyone who will help him clear them out of the country.

If you respond, they ask for a working bank account to deposit these "millions" - and then completely empty your bank account.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU RESPOND TO SUCH SOLICITATIONS.

The people behind these are fraudsters, and used to be exclusively African and based in African nations, where bringing a prosecution case would present various difficulties.

If you have ever received any such message from another member here, then please inform myself and I will suspend the offending member.

For those who have never seen the Nigerian scam in action, here is one - PLEASE NOTE that there are variations - including one from an "Iraqi ex-minister" :rolleyes:
THE ACCOUNTANT
AUDIT AND ACCOUNTS UNIT ,
BTCI Banque Togolaise pour le Commerce et l'industrie LOME,REPUBLIC OF TOGO.

DEAR,

WITH DUE HONOUR AND RESPECT,I AM DR KONE IBRAHIM,ACCOUNTANT INCHARGE OF AUDIT AND ACCOUNTS UNIT DEPT OF BTCI Banque Togolaise pour le Commerce et l'industrie , LOME-TOGO IN WEST AFRICA.

I GOT YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS FROM THE TOGOLAISE INTERNET SO,AFTER PRAYING,I DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU FOR BENEFICIAL AND A 100% RISK FREE BUSINESS TRANSACTION. DURING OUR AUDITING AND INVESTIGATIONS IN THIS BANK,MY DEPARTMENT CAME ACROSS THE SUM OF TWENTY EIGHT MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS(US$28,000,000)ONLY BELONGING TO A OREIGN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSMAN WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS FAMILY(NEXT OF KIN)IN THE 5TH NOVEMBER,1997AEROPLANE CRASH IN ABIDJAN.

BEFORE OUR DISCOVERY OF THIS DEVELOPMENT,THERE WAS NO TRACE OF CLAIM FROM ANY PERSON AS THE FUND REMAINS DORMANT IN HIS ACCOUNT WITH THIS BANK. ALTHOUGH,I KEEP THIS INFORMATION SECRET WITHIN MY JURISDICTION TO ENABLE US PUT CLAIMS AND TRANSFER THE SAID AMOUNT THROUGH A TRUSTWORTHY FRIEND OVERSEAS WHOM WE SHALL PRESENT TO THE BANK AS THE BONAFIDE NEXT-OF-KIN TO THE DECEASED FOR A PROFITABLE AND SUCCESSFUL DEAL.

MEANWHILE,ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS TO PUT CLAIMS AS THE BONAFIDE NEXT-OF-KIN TO THE DECEASED,TO GET THE REQUIRED APPROVAL AND TRANSFER OF THIS MONEY TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE.

THE DIRECTIVES AND THE NEEDED INFORMATION WILL BE RELAYED TO YOU AS SOON AS YOU INDICATE YOUR INTEREST AND WILLINGNESS TO BENEFIT YOURSELF FROM THIS GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.

INFACT,WE COULD HAVE DONE THIS DEAL ALONE BUT BECAUSE AS WE ARE CIVIL SERVANTS WE ARE NOT LEGALLY ALLOWED TO OPERATE FOREIGN ACCOUNT AND IT WOULD EVENTUALLY RAISE AN EYEBROWS ON OUR SIDE DURING THE TIME OF TRANSFER BECAUSE WE ARE STAFFS IN THE BANK.

THESE ARE THE ACTUAL REASONS WHY IT REQUIRES A SECOND-FELLOW WHO WILL FORWARD APPLICATION OF CLAIMS TO THE BANK AND ALSO PRESENT A FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNT WHERE THE MONEY ON HIS/HER REQUEST WILL BE E-TRANSFERED INTO.

ON CONCLUSION OF THIS TRANSACTION,YOU WILL BE ENTITLED TO 25% OF THE TOTAL SUM A GRATIFICATION.5% OF THE TOTAL SUM WILL BE USED TO REINBURSE EXPENSES THAT MIGHT ARISE FROM TELEPHONE BILLS AND OTHER EXPENSES DURING THE TRANSACTION,WHILE 70% WILL BE FOR ME AND MY PARTNERS HERE.

PLEASE YOU HAVE BEEN ADVICED TO KEEP TOP SECRET AS WE ARE STILL IN SERVICE AND INTEND TO RETIRE FROM SERVICE AFTER WE CONCLUDE THIS DEAL WITH YOU. I WILL BE MONITORING THE WHOLE SITUATION HERE IN THIS BANK UNTIL YOU CONFIRM THE MONEY IN YOUR ACCOUNT.

WE THEN COME DOWN TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR SUBSEQUENT SHARING OF THE FUND ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGES PREVIOUSLY INDICATED AND FOR INVESTMENT IN ANY COUNTRY YOU MAY ADVICE US TOO.

ALL OTHER NECESSARY INFORMATION WILL BE SENT TO YOU WHEN I HEAR FROM YOU. I SUGGEST YOU GET BACK TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,STATING YOUR WISH IN THIS DEAL.

Reply me on this e mail address: [e-mail address]


BEST REGARDS,

DR KONE IBRAHIM
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Here, I, Brian. I think you need this. :D

*hands the site master a cigarette and a cup of coffee*

There's more where that came from, in case you need it later. :D *mumbles to self* Iraqi ex-minister, indeed. :rolleyes: *pours self a cup of coffee and lights her own cigarette*

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
 
Hey, Mick was having problems with these letters in our email a year ago... He finally sent a long reply to the sender, and told the "domain.com" people about it too. I don't recall what happened (probably some form letter), but there was a lot less emails to us after that. I guess it just goes to show there is more work in the world that has to be done.
Just Me
Sassafras
 
LOL! You are going to make us think you have an identity crisis, if you keep cross posting with your family aliases!!
 
Incautious from greed

Thanks, Brian, for the warning.

This is one occasion to remind us all here to watch out and guard our heart and mind.

How many everyday are getting caught in all kinds of troubles from greed, and sex.

When you feel that you are going to make a lot of money with a little money outlet and less trouble, then you must stop yourself from taking another step.

Same also with sex, when you feel that you are going to have some good sex without any entanglement of physical and social health and your own self-respect, then you must stop yourself from taking another step.

Better stick to message boards and the pleasure of mind exercise.

And to your own wife, and be content with the routine comforts of life and some minor luxuries. And don't get overly ambitious about making so much money that everyone will look up to you.

Am I talking about myself? Hahaha.

Well, I try to console myself with the study of religion. "What is a religion?"

Come to think about it, Money is the actual measure of a man's greatness of achievement. That's my suspicion. Of course, you can steal it or con others to part with it for yourself. And some have succeeded that way. Some are just lucky. Those Nigerians are some scam artists, though.


Thanks, Brian, for this website. And I thank you are doing a great job at owner/operator/moderator.

Susma Rio Sep
 
I think the golden rule of thumb on much of this scamming, if it looks too good to be true then it is.
 
suanni said:
I think the golden rule of thumb on much of this scamming, if it looks too good to be true then it is.
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Welcome, Suanni.

Will you join me in an ecumenical prayer? Here goes:

O Power that be, wherever and whoever You be, harken to this our humble and trusitng prayer: Keep us safe, healthy, and in possession of our material needs; so that we can count our blessings and give you thanks. Yes, and make us civil and courteous and patient with each other. So be it.

Thanks for joining me in the prayer.

Susma Rio Sep
 
Big easy quick money

About NIgerian financial scam artists, here is what we all should guard ourselves against, in order not to incur big financial losses:

When someone comes with sure plans to make big easy quick money, then you can be certain that you are being set up for exploitation.

Another guard is to not to make quick friends with total stranger; because once you strike up a friendship with total strangers, one of them could be in the business of ripping you off: for on the basis of friendship you cannot question his sincerity when he comes up with the idea of investing with him in some profitable enterprise.

Susma Rio Sep
 
7.5 Billion? How do so many people fall for such things? I mean, I look at the terrible way the scam is presented.... The false hope, and the key.... Something for nothing..... And with a pinch of "I don't trust anyone" I then delete it.... I find those figures shocking if they are indeed true. It must be all the village idiots of the world uniting.
 
I too have received such emails. Before deleting them I inform their email providers who are always fast to reply and assure me that they take this seriously. But I agree with 17th, to fall for such scams you must be either sick with greed or over-dosing on stupid pills.

Tao
 
Kindest Regards, Angel!
17th Angel said:
How do so many people fall for such things?
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While I agree with you, I think people "fall for such things" because of our inherent attitudes. One needn't be greedy, per se, but surely one could use a few extra bucks now and then? What difference between this and "falling for" an advertisement to get a new credit card, or automobile, or step up to a new house? That is why these scams, and many others like them, work. People see a means to "step up" in the world with little or no real effort on their own part (using "OPM," other people's money). In the "legitimate" offers, one extends oneself into the servitude of debt to satisfy this innate desire. In the "illegitimate" offers, there is the play on this innate desire and if one is not careful, as you suggest, then one can be "scammed." It is a delicate dance, because even legitimate offers can ultimately bring one to financial ruin. Few of us are disciplined well enough to live within our own means.
 
Tao_Equus said:
I too have received such emails. Before deleting them I inform their email providers who are always fast to reply and assure me that they take this seriously. But I agree with 17th, to fall for such scams you must be either sick with greed or over-dosing on stupid pills.
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Chris Hansen, Dateline has been doing some expose's on these things... In the US a lot of folks get taken by spammers...while greed is often a factor some of it is older folks who just get inundated with all the charity stuff, and get to the point where they are sending money off every week to someone...once they get on the list they get on everyones list....plus they've added plain old ID theft to the mix...get them to give $10...and then clean out their bank account...

In Nigeria there are now schools teaching the con...and thousands sitting at internet cafe's spamming the world with the old ones and all the new twists..anything to get a piece of info to add to the database to complete the picture...Benin is now being used as the world is slowly getting hip to Nigerian scams...the nigerian scammers buy products in the US and have them shipped to someone and then get that someone to ship it to Benin...where they collect billions of dollars of products which if they sell it at 10% of its value on the black market turns into millions of revenue...
 
I have had two such emails this past week, one from nigeria and one from a woman in supposedly saudi... I did not give CF or my other forums that email addy, and was curious as to how I'd been found... am curious to see if others get them and also if those who do from this site also signed the womens rights petition which was a link some of us followed from this site which a member had posted sincerely, as that was the only occasion I have used this other email addy...

adios
 
You don't -just- get spam from forums.. :) There are thousands of ways...

Jaun.... I wouldn't put it on greed.. I am a selfish barsteward... But I am careful you know? You scope it out you see hwo you can do something while keeping your hands clean, like a shadow.. No trace nice and easy bam, the old in and out... Got it, get it... gone :D I guess some fail to risk assess situations oh well, I am sorry for them... They will live to fight another day, they have burnt finger tips and have learnt to never do it again.
 
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