Do advance fee scam fraudsters put targets through a ‘Scam Email Grist’? It seems so…
Photo by: Gustavopicon
A recent case reported in Alaska suggests advance fee scam fraudsters feed the email-id of each one of their targeted victims through a ‘scam email grist’. They would do this in the hope that targets who don’t fall for one scam email will be snared by the next. This way, they’ll also make sure each of the precious email-id-leads they buy or otherwise deviously obtain, are squeezed dry of any prospect of being scammed.
Maybe, this is what happened with Iva Rabon of North Kenai, Alaska.
Around three months ago, she received an email, followed by a $30,000 check, from the ‘Central Bank of Nigeria’. The mail said $30,000 was hers for the taking, if she did the bank a favor. All she would have to do was to cash the check and send back balance money left after retaining $3,000 for herself, to the bank. After her check cleared, the bank would send her this money too, the email promised. Recognizing the scam, she smirked and turned the scam in to the Better Business Bureau office at Anchorage.
On Sept.17, she was visited by another scam email. This one claimed to be from the FBI, professing to be sent by no less a person than the Executive Director Robert Mueller himself.
The mail informed her that her transaction with Central Bank of Nigeria had come to FBI’s knowledge. Contrary to what she might have been expecting next, the mail assumed a patronizing tone and assured her of the genuineness of the bank’s dealings. It further went on to confirm that a ‘contract fund’ of $8 million has been placed by the bank at her disposal. She pitched this one too at the BBB office.
Two days later, a third email made an appearance. This one was from a “Fredrick Wilson” of Central Bank/United Nations 2007 Compensations Payments Directive. It had more incredulous news.
In order to refurbish the country’s image, the Nigerian President had decided to compensate 100 victims of Nigerian scams. Ms. Rabon was amongst those whose names had been approved for the award, it claimed. She was now entitled to compensation worth $300,000. This, last scam offer too met with much the same fate by the hands of Ms. Rabon as the other two.
In all probability, all the three emails were launched by the same bunch of tricksters. They may have incorporated it into their ‘business model’ in order to improve the economics of their enterprise.
If, therefore, you have received a scam email like the ones above, you would do well to brace yourself to receive some more.
Source: PeninsulaClarion.com
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