Wow, this spam is really meta. "So we hear you were scammed. Good news: You can be reimbursed. Just fall into our scam which is exactly the same type of scam we are notifying you of."
Funny details include the mention of torture as means of extracting information.
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:10:10
From: European Anti-Fraud <redacted>
Reply-To: <redacted>
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;
Subject: Urgent Reply Needed
European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
Rue Joseph II,
Batiment 30 Bureau 14/72,
B-1000 Brussels
Attn: fund Inheritance
We are dealing with The Advance Fee Fraud section deal mainly with cases of advance fee fraud (commonly called 419) such as obtaining by false pretence through different fraudulent schemes e.g. contract scam, credit card scam, inheritance scam, job scam, loan scam, lottery scam, ?wash? scam (money washing scam), marriage scam. Immigration scam, counterfeiting and religious scam. It also investigates cyber crime cases. This is to officially announce to you that some scam Syndicates were apprehended in Nigeria,USA,London,South Africa,Spain,Malaysia and other listed country in our file few days ago and after several interrogations and tortures your details were among those mentioned by some of the scam Syndicates as one of the victims of their operations.
We have recover about (USD$17.9M) SEVENTEEN MILLION NINE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS and deposit with DEUTSCH BANK ZUERST which will be transferred to your account as soon as you comply and conclude with them.
Contact the office through the email address stated below about this notification letter and the transfer of your fund, fill the APPLICATION DETAILS and send to them immediately for the process of your payment.
Name:................................................
Other name (s ):.......................................
Gender:................................................
Marital status :..........................................
Contact Address:....................................
City / Zip Code :................................
Country :................................................ ..
Religion :..............................................
Date of birth :...................................
Monthly Income / Yearly Income :...................
Occupation :.............................................
The Phone House :.......................................
Cell Phone :......................................
Bank Details:???????????
Contact Mrs. Elizabeth Bernhard,
Email: <redacted>
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Giovanni Kessler
Director-General of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF),
From: WESTERN UNION TRANSFER <redacted>
Reply-To: <redacted>
To: undisclosed recipients: ;
Subject: YOUR PAYMENT MTCN: 0341153617
Parts/Attachments:
1 Shown ~56 lines Text (charset: UTF-8)
2 OK ~32 lines Text (charset: UTF-8)
----------------------------------------
Attention Beneficiary,
We have concluded to effect your payment through western union $5,000. Daily until the total of $950,000.00 is completely transferred.
The money is available for pick up which was deposited for transfer to you by UNITED NATION COMPENSATION COMMISSION OF SCAM VICTIMS.
The money is available for pick up by receiver (you) but when you track it, it will display PICKED UP due to the fact that it has been deactivated from our head office for security reason because it has stayed too long in the air as we do not have your correct phone number which we would have use it to reach you, so it was blocked.
therefore you can not cash it out in any western union office due to its restriction from our head Office, which was a security measure because the money has been in the air for three days now and maybe in danger, hence the mtcn has to b e reactivated to enable you cash out the money in any western union office in your area, the reactivation of the MTCN will cost you a token of $165,once this is paid, our Head Office will release the fund on hold to enable you cash it.
To be sure of this please log on to www.westernunion.com And click on track to and enter the sender's info and MTCN below. Hide quoted text -
Sender's Fist name: <redacted>
Sender's Last Name: <redacted>
MTCN: 0341153617
Question: When
Answer: Now
Amount: $5000.00USD
Total Amount To be cashed:$950,000.00 USD.
With due respect proceed ahead with this bellow information and send the $165 to us for the reactivation of your payment MTCN as matter of urgency to enable us commernce with your immediate transfer without any kind of delay:
Receiver Name <redacted>
Country Benin Republic
City Cotonou
Test Question When
Test Answer Now
Amount $165usd
We are waiting for the Mtcn and sender information to enable us pick it up and finalize the needful arrangement for your transfer to commernce immediately.
The Western union Agent:
Mr. Godwin Ben
Call 00229 9855-6769
I particularly like how it segues from official-looking text into something that looks like SMS speak on first glance, and back, in the same message.
It is also interesting how they cut the chase. Instead of going back and forth a few messages luring the victims progressively deeper into the "send-us-some-money-so-we-can-send-you-millions" scheme, this one sets all the cards on the table in the first round. The spurious "hide quoted text" in the middle is also quite random.
With due respect proceed ahead with this bellow information and send the $165 to us
The sad thing about this? Some scam victims, who have become fully aware that they have been scammed of thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars in the past, will send another $165 to the scammers in the hopes that maybe this time it will work.
It's a combination of sunk cost fallacy and outright naïveté.
The outright weirdest peace of spam I ever got was this one. It was more like, why in hell would anyone make spam mail out of this?
A weird piece of spam wrote:
Email Subject: Most Controversial Film - More Dangerous than Wikileaks?
Real Recorded Rape Scene In Film causes Uproar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddHxiDBVAvk
The newly released IFC film 'Victim' has an extremely graphic rape scene that is causing an uproar amongst activist groups. It looks so real, that many are calling it borderline illegal. The rape scene involves a beautiful young girl and a transgender who apparently are not credited for their on screen roles.
Gay rights activist and anti-rape groups strongly condemned the film last week. They sent a letter to the MPAA board asking for the elimination of the scene entirely, stating that the film was "exploitative and damaging for not only rape victims but also society as a whole." The footage, according to the groups, where real rape footage appears should not be seen in a R-rated film. Normalizing such acts in the mainstream can lead to it acceptance in society.
The filmmakers have assured the groups that the scenes, although graphic and realistic, were in fact acted. They have agreed to meet with representatives of the groups and show them footage of the filming. The groups have rejected that offer and, according to many, "remain firm on their stance." They have stated that "films like 'Victim' and others that glamorize rape desensitizes audiences and exploits the trauma and suffering of rape victims."
Check out the full film in select theaters or Video on Demand.
Order from Home (Time Warner, AT&T, Direct TV, Charter, etc.):
1. Access "On Demand" and browse to "Movies On Demand"
2. Browse to "IFC In Theaters" or " Indie & Intl Films". If you still
can't find it, search manually A-Z.
LGBT community up in arms over new IFC film thriller "VICTIM"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddHxiDBVAvk
The newly released IFC Independent film "VICTIM" from directors Matt Eskandari and Michael Pierce is stirring a controversy with its premise of a Young Man kidnapped and forced to undergo sex change operation by a diabolical Doctor.
Critics in the Transgender community feel their being singled out. John Edgarson of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Forum of America says, "People who see these mainstream genre Hollywood films take them as sacred truth and when the subject of transgender-ism is taken as a means of torture, it makes us less than human and serves to demonize a whole set of innocent people in the minds of the public. It is going to set us back years...The film should be banned for its blatant anti-gay sentiments and complete disregard for human beings."
The filmmakers have spoken out about people unfairly judging the movie based solely on the trailer. They insist while it is a mainstream horror/thriller, "The film is not exploitative. The film openly deals with gender issues with rigor and truth. People will be surprised as to how candidly and honestly the film tackles the gender issue within the confines of a mainstream genre film.
Check out the full film in select theaters or Video on Demand.
Order from Home (Time Warner, AT&T, Direct TV, Charter, etc.):
1. Access "On Demand" and browse to "Movies On Demand"
2. Browse to "IFC In Theaters" or " Indie & Intl Films". If you still
can't find it, search manually A-Z.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!)
My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
I haven't received any spam mail as weird as that, but I once got a message with the subject "Learn your Credit Score. Knowledege is Power". I thought that was really ironic and funny.
One more way spam can go meta: Release episodic content!
This scam seems to be episode 2 to the general "hi, we're nice nigerian fellows who want to give you lots of money"
scammer wrote:
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:58:48
From: Fred Obinna <redacted>
Reply-To: <redacted>
Subject: TRUTH OF THE MATTER 222.186.34.13
TRUTH OF THE MATTER
I have decided to contact you directly and personally after a serious thought because I do not have any hatred on you, but your Nigerian partners.
I am the Director, Tested Computerization Foreign Transfer Unit central bank of Nigeria (CBN). Sometime in the past, your Nigerian partners approached me through a friend of mine and requested me to assist them to conclude a money transfer deal.
They gave me your name, and bank particulars and told me to include them into our computer system in the central computer unit so that it will appear as if you are one of the genuine contractors that have been cleared for payment.According to them, they wanted to use this strategy to transfer a huge amount of money which they accumulated through inflated contract awards and the money have been floating in the CBN since then.
The original contractors have been paid therefore they wanted to use your account to transfer the inflated amount out of Nigeria. We agreed that once I do this, they would give me 15% and another US$100,000.00 when I release the fund to your account.
When they saw that I have done so and your name have been approved among the list of those to be paid, instead of giving me the agreed amount, they started avoiding me and resorted to threat.
I immediately deleted the transfer access code (TAC) and your personal identification numbers (PIN), which is only known to me due to my position and duty but released other contractors fund without yours. They became angered the more when they saw that their threat did not work, they started bribing other officials to get another approval to transfer the money to you but without success. it is not funny that a contractor is being asked to pay one tax or the other. I am 100% responsible for the delay and obstructions because of their breach of agreement. if you doubt what I have just told you, pay any amount they will ask you to pay now, after a short time, they will come up with another reason to pay again and it goes on and on.
They are simply wicked and do not know where their problem lies. Now, if you want us to work together, these are my conditions:
A) Most importantly, we must be very sincere and transparent with each other by ensuring that we stand by our words.
B) I will have 50% of the money because it's only two of us left now.
C) You will assist me to open an account in your country or any other place of my choice where I will pay in my own share.
D) As you have seen, it will be useless and a mere waste of time and money if you continue with any other person, so it is better we agree with each other and conclude the transaction with utmost secrecy.
If these conditions are acceptable to you, contact me as soon as possible quoting your contract number to prove that you are the true person, so that we will finalize. But if you are not interested, I advise you to forget the fund as it will be transferred into the federal government of Nigeria consolidated national reserve.
Kindly get back to me only on this email or call me immediately upon receipt of this message for further information
Best Regards,
Fred Obinna.
Director, Tested Computerization foreign Transfer Unit,
It is particularly interesting that this message attempts to bait people who are willing to partake a little scam of their own (by quoting bogus contract numbers on a bogus contract).
The IP address in the email subject is the address of the vulnerable email server they used for sending the spam. It is part of the spammers' incompetence that it ended up in the subject field.
From: favourgoodluck14@yahoo.com (0ooooooooooogoodf@att.net)
To: undisclosed recipients
Hello
My name is miss favour,
I will like to have a mutual relationship with you,
there is something crucial i will like to share with you
take care and lots of love,
please don't mind the distance and color
it has nothing to do with love
God bless you
favour.
I find it mildly humorous, especially the name (note how it's in lowercase).
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Wow, this spam is really meta. "So we hear you were scammed. Good news: You can be reimbursed. Just fall into our scam which is exactly the same type of scam we are notifying you of."
I just received another version of such meta-scam. It's unusually upfront about you having to pay them $390.
Scammer wrote:
Greetings to you my dear friend
I am Mrs. Gardenia Farley; I am a US citizen, 48 years Old. I reside Here in California. My residential address is as follows; 6369 Rathke Dr. Riverside California, 92509 USA.
I am one of those that executed a Compensation in Nigeria, many years ago and they refused to pay me. I had paid over $40,000 while in the US trying to get my payment all to No avail.
So I decided to travel down to Nigeria with all my compensation documents and I was directed to meet Barrister Mr. Robert Bandy, who is a member of COMPENSATION AWARD COMMITTEE and I contacted him of which he explained everything to me.
He said whoever is contacting us through emails are fake.
He took me to the paying bank for the claim of my Compensation payment.
Right now I am the most happiest woman on earth so i decided to email you to stop dealing with those people, they are not with Your funds, they are only making money out of you.
I will advise you to contact Barrister Robert Bandy immediately.
You have to contact him direct on this information below.
Barrister. Robert Bandy COMPENSATION HOUSE
Name: Mr. Robert Bandy (Barrister)
Email: (censored)
Phone: (censored)
Office Address: 24, Marnbolo Street Wuse, Zone 2, Abuja.
You really have to Stop dealing with those people that is contacting you and telling you that Your fund is with them, it is not in anyway with them, they are only taking advantage of you and they will dry you up until you have nothing.
The only money I paid was just $390usd, for the paper work take note of that.
Once again stop contacting those people, I will advise you to contact Barr. Robert Bandy so that he can help you to deliver your fund instead of dealing With those liars that will be turning you around asking for different kind of money to complete your transaction.
Thank You and Be Blessed.
Mrs. Gardenia Farley.
Then there's this type of naive confidence scam:
Scammer wrote:
Dear Web-mail User,
Your Mail quota has reached limit, You might not be able to send or receive new mail until you re-validate your mailbox .To re-validate your mailbox reply to this mail and fill your { Email Address } { User-name } { Password }:
Technical Support
The sad thing is that a good portion of people will really send their username and password to anybody who asks for it claiming to be someone of authority.
What I do not understand is what do these scammers need people's email accounts for. There are approximately a million free email services out there, and they can create as many email accounts they want. What's the point in hijacking someone's account?
Joined: 6/25/2007
Posts: 732
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
They are looking for user names, passwords, and other sensitive information to sell to (in-game) MMORPG gold farming companies etc. Credit card information could also be there.
Joined: 3/2/2010
Posts: 2178
Location: A little to the left of nowhere (Sweden)
Lex wrote:
They are looking for user names, passwords, and other sensitive information to sell to (in-game) MMORPG gold farming companies etc. Credit card information could also be there.
What I would like to do is spam the reply address with bogus (but plausible-looking) replies with spoofed sender IP addresses (so that the can't be filtered by sender IP). This not only would cause work to the scammers, but it might protect people who send their actual usernames and passwords, as they get buried under all the spam and are hard to distinguish from the fake ones.
Ironically, doing that would probably be technically illegal.
