Email Safety Blog

Below is an example of an email passed along by a friend.  Take a look and we will discuss the many components of this scam in our next post.

TEXACO INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY COMMISSION
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
66 PICCADILLY LONDON. W1B 0BH UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Service
Ref.Number: EGS/2251256003/05
Batch: 14/0017/1PD
Email:texacopetroleumoilcompany@yahoo.com

Dear winner,

The entire TEXACO PETROLEUM OIL COMPANY LIMITED international lottery
organization feel happy to inform you that your e-mail has won prize money
of One Million Great British Pounds Sterling(1,000.000.00 )
in 2011 prize to encourage organization webmaster Inc. Your selection was
based on a computer balloting system drawn from 10 million E-mail
addresses from Canada, Australia, United States, Asia, Europe, Middle
East, Africa and Oceania as part of our international promotions program
which is being conducted for the first time.
HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE:
Your Prize payment will be processed and paid to you from our payment
center .
To claim your prize money, please contact the fiduciary agent Prof.Martin

Johnson via e-mail with the following information:
Full name:
Sex:
Age:
Batch Number:
Ref.Number:
Contact Address:
Occupation:
Nationality:
Mobile Number:
Post Code:

You are required to forward all the required information’s Via email to
your Lotto agent Prof .Martin Johnson, in other to enable him arrange for
a swift payment process.
Use the information’s below to contact Prof.Martin Johnson.

Name: Prof.Martin Johnson
Telephone: :+447024051666
E-mail: texacopetroleumoilcompany@yahoo.com

Well, a friend of mine was recently hacked and I received this email in my inbox.  This is not the first email I have received like this and I am sure it will not be the last.  If you received an odd email from a friend like this one below (when you knew they were safe at home and not traveling) what would you do?

Hope you get this on time, I made a trip to Aberdeen, Scotland and had my bag stolen from me with my passport and credit cards in it. The embassy is willing to help by letting me fly without my passport, I just have to pay for a ticket and settle Hotel bills. Unfortunately for me, I can’t have access to funds without my credit card, I’ve made contact with my bank but they need more time to come up with a new one. I was thinking of asking you to send some funds via Western Union to my travel agent in California so he can expedite my travel arrangements.

I can forward you details on how you can get the funds to him. You can reach me via email or on Blue Island hotel front desk phone, the numbers are, +447031804805 or +447031804806.

I await your response….

Below is an scam example sent to a close friend just a few weeks ago.

OFFICIAL ALERT FROM BENIN POST OFFICE,

THIS IS TO OFFICIALLY INFORM YOU THAT THERE IS (ATM CARD) IN OUR DEPARTMENT,
DEPOSITED BY A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION ON THE 26TH OF APRIL 2011 (TODAY). YOUR
E-MAIL AND POSTAL ADDRESS WAS ATTACHED TO IT AND IS TO BE POSTED TO YOU
ACCORDING TO THE DEPOSITOR’S INSTRUCTION. WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU TO CONTACT
US
BACK RIGHT AWAY FOR THE CONFIRMATION AND AWARENESS OF YOUR VALID ATM CARD
WORTH OF $1.8 MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS, ALL THE NECESSARY AND VITAL
DOCUMENTS THAT VALIDATE THE USE AND PRIVACY OF YOUR ATM CARD IS ALREADY
INTACT. KINDLY PERSONALLY GET BACK TO US UPON RECEIVING OF THIS ALERT AS TO
PREVENT FRAUDULENT PENETRATION.

YOU ARE TO RE-CONFIRM AND PROVIDE THE YOUR FULL NAME, POSTAL ADDRESS, YOUR
DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER AND A COPY OF YOUR ID CARD FOR CROSS CHECKING AND
CONFIRMATION TO THE ABOVE CONTACT DETAILS
EMAIL ADDRESS (postofficebenin2012@gmail.com),
CONTACT PERSON, EGODIMMA BROWN.
TELEPHONE: +22998404728

NOTE: THAT OFFICIAL DUTY STAMP OF $75.00 US DOLLAR IS TO BE PAID/HANDLE BY
YOU
AND YOU PERSONALLY. YOU ARE ADVISE TO SEND $75.00 FOR THE PLACEMENT OF THE
OFFICIAL DUTY STAMP BY THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY IN CHARGE FOR IMMEDIATE
EXIST
OF YOUR ATM CARD TO YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS, THE $75.00 IS TO BE SEND THROUGH
(WESTERN UNION OR MONEY GRAM) WITH THE DIRECTOR’S NAME AND DETAILS AS LISTED
UNDER AND THEN FORWARD THE PAYMENT DETAILS AS TO ENABLE THE AUTHORITY IN
CHARGE/COMMAND PLACE THE OFFICIAL DUTY STAMP FOR INSTANT EXIT OF YOUR ATM
CARD
VIA OVER NIGHT POST FROM THIS OFFICE TO YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS AS COMMANDED AND
INSTRUCTED WITHOUT DELAYING.

Receiver’s  Name…… OKAFOR SIMEON
City…. Cotonou
Country….. Benin of Republic
Question…. Give Thanks
Answer….. To God
AMOUNT……$75.00 US DOLLAR

I WILL BE ON LOOK OUT IN HEARING BACK FROM YOU, FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTION
AND
DIRECTIVE AS IT WAS GIVEN AND COMMANDED BY THE ZONAL DIRECTOR OF AREA EIGHT
(8).

SINCERELY,
MR. FREDERICK S. BROOK

Example of a Nigerian Email Scam.

My Beloved friend,

Please read this slowly as this might be one of the most important mails that you would ever get this year. It is with tears and pains that I write this e-mail from my sick bed in a hospital. I believe you have never met such a condition before. My name is Mrs. Lemochi Aziha, widow to late Mr. Hasrul Aziha who died in the year 2003.

I had a stillbirth due to the carelessness of the doctors and therefore lost my son at childbirth. .As i speak to you, i have been diagonal zed with Esophageal Cancer, of which the doctors have confirmed and told me that i would not live for more than six months.

I am 60 years old, suffering from long time cancer of the breast. From all indications, my condition is really deteriorating and it’s quite obvious that I won’t live more than 6 months according to my doctors. This is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage. I don’t want you to pity me rather all I need is your trust.

During the period of our marriage, we could only produce a male child whom we still lost at child birth. After my husband passed away, i took over his company which generated a total sum of $10,500,000 united states dollars. As i write to you, i feel the money would be a waste after i die and that is why i have decided to donate the money to charity and the less privilege across the world.

Please my dear friend, i have come to you to carry out this last wish of mine because i am currently in the hospital where i am receiving treatment and also because i want my soul to find peace with God once i live this earth.

The funds will be entirely in your hands to manage it and I hope God gives you the wisdom to touch very many lives as this is my main concern. 40% of the funds would go to you for your time and effort while the remaining 60% would go to charity and the less privilege.

If you wish to help me you can write me back at your earliest convenience so that i can direct you to my attorney who would be of assistance to you in the transfer of the funds to your account.

Thank you and God bless you.

Mrs. Lemochi Aziha