A Scam of the Scam

Can you image how embarrassed and ashamed a victim would feel falling for this one? A scam that is basically targeting people saying they are compensating people who have fallen victim to the Nigerian scam, explaining the scam and all? A scam about a scam. Very despicable behavior.

From: OFFICE OF THE NIGERIAN PRESIDENCY [office@nig.com]
Subject: YOUR SCAMMED VICTIMS COMPENSATION HAS BEEN APPROVED

Hello, Sir/Madam
REF/PAYMENTS CODE: FGN/PHBPLC/06654/011 ($965,000 USD)
    
This is to bring to your notice that we are delegated from the UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL FRAUD MONITORING UNIT, I wish to notify you that the office of the Nigerian presidency has been authorized to pay out to 50 innocent victims of the widely know internet scam called Advanced Fee Fraud aka (419) the sum of US$965,000(Nine Hundred and sixty Five Thousand Dollars Only each).You have been listed and approved for this payment as one of the scammed victims.
    
On these faithful recommendations, we want you to know that during the last U.N. meeting held at Abuja, Nigeria, as it has come to an alarming proportion based on reports from different victims, some of these victims have almost lost their lives, families, properties, and friends. The most alarming aspect of the issue was on the amount money lost by these various innocent individuals to scams artists operating in syndicates all over the world today, and in other to compensate victims, the UNITED NATIONS Body in conjunction with the newly elected government in Nigerian has agreed to pay 50 victims $965,000 dollars each.
    
    
SCAMMED VICTIM/REF/PAYMENTS
CODE: FGN/PHBPLC/06654/011
1) Your full name and residential address
2) Your direct phone number
3) Your file reference number
4) Your nominated account details where your funds will be transferred into
    
    
Best Regards,
Office Nig
    

Scamsters Ever on the Lookout for New Gullible Victims

This article was posted today in Johannesburg. Actually, many of the artist-targeted scam email we address here will often say the scammer is moving to South Africa (Australia is another commonly used fake destination). Goes to show you it is a totally global problem.

SMS and email scamsters, ever on the lookout for new gullible victims, have taken to luring people to part with money or their personal details with false promises that they have won a fabulous prize.

"The minute you are requested to incur costs of whatever nature in lieu of what has been promised, should be sufficient warning that something is not right with the transaction," said SA Banking Risk Information Centre general manager for commercial crime, Susan Potgieter, on Thursday.

"The public should be wary of any promises of easy money; the sweeter the deal sounds, the more likely it is part of a scam."

Known as "advance fee fraud", tactics include asking the supposed recipient of a grand prize to send the code number of a cellphone recharge voucher, or asked for money, or for personal details.

The notices usually appear convincing, but Potgieter reiterated what banks keep telling people: don't part with personal details by sms or email and don't give personal details to people claiming to be from the bank or a company you do business with unless you are absolutely sure the person you are dealing with is to be trusted.

People who realise they have been duped, or suspect they have been duped, should contact their bank immediately.

Some red flags to look out for:

* Be cautious of any official or business dealings where the main means of communication is a cellphone number or email. It is very rare for a well established company to use cellphone numbers as its main contact details with the public.
* Verify that the email address from which the email is sent is that of the company that it purportedly comes from.
* Be suspicious when you are requested to incur any costs disguised as "administration fees" or "processing fees".
* Always act with caution when you are suddenly informed that you have won a prize in a competition that you have not entered.
* Query the reasonableness of a well established company requesting you to send them cellphone recharge vouchers. The probability is that the cellphone airtime that you send is actually used to defraud even more unsuspecting people.

A recent scam dressed itself as official communication from LG Electronics. It read: "Congratulations!! Your no. was among the lucky winners on the LG Annual PROMOTION. You won R200,000. Ticket no. 0188P. Call your Claim Agent Mr. Douglas Smith on 0710282774. For Your Cash immediately from 08 am 06 pm. Sender no. 27784435162. Sent 22:36:06, 03/03/2010."

LG Electronics immediately sent out an alert that the sms was part of a scam and not linked to the company.