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Completely OT: Best phishing email ever

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/30/2012 : 12:04:02

I just got this in email about half an hour ago. Since I'm looking for a job, and get unsolicited email from recruiters, I opened it. All I can say is this guy has brass ones! (mods feel free to whack this if you don't think it should be here). I'm surprised he didn't just ask for my credit card info, bank account number & PINs.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">How are you doing? I want to be honest with you this is not legal,but I have a way for you to earn money from home without getting into trouble. You will not be involved in the cashing of checks because if you do you will end up getting into trouble with them.

So I have designed this offer specifically for you because I do not want you to get into trouble, I have contacts everywhere in the USA whom I am supposed to send checks to.

You will not face any harm whatsoever as you will not cash any check, only receive and forward so as to cut down my expense of sending directly from here. This Offer will be of no monetary expense to you as I will pay for all shipping costs as well as put you on a very good weekly wage that we will agree on. Once you have agreed to work with me, I will forward you a list of all the contacts as well as my UPS account information which you will need to ship the checks without spending any money. If you are interested reply me back, thanks and hope to hear from you shortly.I am open to discussions about your pay also.

Name:
Cell #:
Home #:
Occupation:
Do you have Yahoo Messenger? If Yes Whats your ID:
Do you have Msn Messenger? If Yes Whats your ID:
Do you have Aim Messenger? If Yes Whats your ID:
Do you have Gmail Messenger? If Yes Whats your ID:

Thanks.
Chris Rust<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - on

NautiC25
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
957 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2012 : 12:20:55

Seems legit. Send the info!

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2012 : 14:16:24

It could be a scammer looking for a mule. Basically, they need someone local to get teh overly wary to give their checks to, or go look at teh car or whatever. You know the responses you get from craigslist saying they are out of country but have a local agent who will handle the transaction? this guy may be looking for you to be his local agent. Go look at the car, give the guy a bogus check for $$$ and then let teh scam take hold.

When I was chasing scammers for a hobby (it can actually be pretty fun) there was a pretty strong business in cheque printing. I forget all the details on how the scam worked, but getting the cheques out required a local agent in the scams.

I would send this one forward to the police. Let it be on their heads if no one follows up on it.

For a far more eloquent scam letter try this one:

Greetings Friend of the Animals
Please forgive this intrusion into your most esteemed email box. I am Kwati
Yeboah, pastor and veterinary surgeon and I am charged with running the
Z00philes of Mercy animal refuge here in Accra Ghana.

Here at the Z00philes of Mercy we take in orphaned animals found by members
of the public as well as those that have been abandoned by zoological parks,
travelling circuses, gypsies and illegal immigrants to our country as well
as those which are found by the authorities and confiscated from people
trying to smuggle these animals out of the country. We are charged before
God who made all living things to alleviate the suffering of those weaker
than ourselves and this is what all of us here at the Zoophiles of Mercy try
to do. Also we have outreach programs among the wider community to
encourage people to respect animals, get to know them and interact with them
in an intimate and loving way.

Regrettably in recent months there has been a great upsurge of people trying
to smuggle out exotic animals including leopard, lion, zebra, various
antelope and on one memorable occasion a group of criminals tried to smuggle
a live elephant by placing it in a shipping container with only a hole for
it to place its trunk out of to breathe. We weep at such cruelty but we
must do our best for these unfortunate animals which are victims of man's
greed and disrespect for the world God has created.
Additionally a local scheme to breed very small animals for the European and
American pet market has closed down due to the economic recession gripping
the world and we have had to take over their breeding stock or these
charming little creatures would have been shot and used for food. You can
see the pictures of these little beauties with this email.

Needless to say such an influx of animals has stretched our resources to
breaking point and so I am taking this extraordinary and drastic step of
using the medium of the interweb to reach out to you for your assistance.
Please would you like to sponsor one of our animals? We have a number of
options available from a simple one-off payment to longer term sponsorship
and many animals from large to small to sponsor. For just a few hundred
pounds a year you can save the life of one of our animals, name it and you
will receive regular reports on your chosen animal and photographs.
Also we have the opportunity for you to acquire some of our tamer animals
for yourself and for free! We will take care of all the paperwork and
government clearances for you and arrange for shipping, we ask only for a
modest fee to cover our expenses and transportation costs.

Please if this letter has touched your heart do get back to me on my pravite
email(kwatiyeboah22@gmail.com) or call me on (+233248794766 )as soon as you
can.
I have attached some photographs of our animals so you can see the good work
that we do.
With Greetings
Rev. Dr. Kwati Yeboah.
Veterinary Sturgeon
Z00philes of Mercy Animal Refuge

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2012 : 14:20:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I would send this one forward to the police. Let it be on their heads if no one follows up on it.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yeah, but to who? Local PD, State Patrol, FBI? Actually it just dawned on me, I've got a friend at the FTC, I'll forward it to her.

Edited by - delliottg on 07/30/2012 19:18:43

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5371 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2012 : 18:48:42

Call me a priss but any letter that I receive where
(1) I don't know who they are,
(2) they overexplain everything, and
(3) their language is appalling
I get very suspicious about it.
I usually delete these emails outright, but if I find that there are a dozen or so other recipients, I reply all, delete the sender's name and warn the others that it's a scam.
Happens a lot these days and they are very skilled.

Edited by - on

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 07/31/2012 : 08:10:54

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 When I was chasing scammers for a hobby (it can actually be pretty fun)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yes, it can be....and you can really piss them off if you waste enough of their time.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 07/31/2012 : 08:34:11

So, an update of sorts, got email back from my friend at the FTC. She's forwarded the email & headers to their investigators. She's not sure what'll become of it, but at least they can maybe get his accounts shut down (which he can remedy in 15 minutes and be back up and running).

I've never taken the time to wind up a spammer, but I've read accounts of what kind of fun you can have. There are hilarious accounts of requiring them to join your church before you can do business with them, and them having to provide photographic evidence of it, usually with hand made signs that make no sense if you're Nigerian, but make Americans laugh.

Edited by - on

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