Online scams

Online scams

This is the second time (both this year) a Thai boy has asked me to translate and to advise on the following matter. A variation of the old Nigerian scam (the scammer even says he is in Nigeria!) where you have to send a small amount of money in order to get a large sum of money.

Screenshots the boy sent me posted here for my reader's entertainment. I assume names, pictures, bank account numbers are fake so I left them as they are.

 

The scammer did not realize that the boy's English is very limited? On the other hand, it seems my friend did not realize it's a scam. Only after asking me for translation and advice, he stopped chatting. I wonder how the scammers get the Thai boys' contacts.

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Below is a message that was in my email junk folder and caught my attention by having one of my passwords in title. I use that password for various low-importance logins, so I don't even know where they got it from.

It further caught my attention by using Greek letters that look like Latin letters. A person can understand, but a computer would not recognize them as such. E.g. if I save the message as ANSI, it looks like this:

? ???w xxxxxx ?s y?ur ??ss. Le?s ge? s?r??gh? ?? ?ur??se. Y?u d??'? ???w me ??d y?u're m?s? l??ely w??der??g why y?u're ge????g ?h?s em??l? N? ?ers?? h?s ???d me ?? chec? y?u.

Ι κηοw xxxxxx ιs yοur ραss
from: xxxxxx xxxxxx <xxxxxx@xxxxxx>

Ι κηοw xxxxxx ιs yοur ραss. Leτs geτ sτrαιghτ το ρurροse. Yοu dοη'τ κηοw me αηd yοu're mοsτ lικely wοηderιηg why yοu're geττιηg τhιs emαιl? Nο ρersοη hαs ραιd me το checκ yοu.

Ι αcτuαlly seτuρ α sοfτwαre οη τhe xxx sτreαmιηg (αdulτ ροrη) web sιτe αηd τhere's mοre, yοu νιsιτed τhιs web sιτe το exρerιeηce fuη (yοu κηοw whατ Ι meαη). Whιle yοu were wατchιηg νιdeο clιρs, yοur web brοwser sταrτed οuτ ορerατιηg αs α Remοτe cοητrοl Desκτορ τhατ hαs α κey lοgger whιch ρrονιded me wιτh αccess το yοur dιsρlαy screeη αηd αlsο cαm. Jusτ αfτer τhατ, my sοfτwαre gατhered αll οf yοur cοηταcτs frοm yοur Messeηger, Fαcebοοκ, αs well αs emαιlαccοuητ. Afτer τhατ Ι creατed α dοuble νιdeο. 1sτ ραrτ dιsρlαys τhe νιdeο yοu were νιewιηg (yοu hανe α gοοd ταsτe οmg), αηd secοηd ραrτ shοws τhe νιew οf yοur cαm, yeα ιτ ιs u.

Yοu geτ jusτ τwο αlτerηατινes. Why dοητ we τακe α lοοκ ατ eαch οηe οf τhese ροssιbιlιτιes ιη ραrτιculαrs:

Fιrsτ ορτιοη ιs το dιsmιss τhιs emαιl. Ιη such α cαse, Ι wιll seηd yοur νery οwη νιdeοταρe το eαch οηe οf yοur cοηταcτs αηd jusτ τhιηκ αbοuτ τhe humιlιατιοη yοu wιll geτ. Keeρ ιη mιηd shοuld yοu be ιη α relατιοηshιρ, jusτ hοw ιτ wιll eνeητuαlly αffecτ?

2ηd αlτerηατινe wοuld be το ραy me $ 1900. We wιll regαrd ιτ αs α dοηατιοη. Ιη such α cαse, Ι wιll sτrαιghτ αwαy erαse yοur νιdeοταρe. Yοu cαη cαrry οη wιτh yοur dαιly lιfe lικe τhιs ηeνer hαρρeηed αηd yοu ηeνer wιll heαr bαcκ αgαιη frοm me.

Yοu'll mακe τhe ραymeητ τhrοugh bιτcοιη (ιf yοu dο ηοτ κηοw τhιs, seαrch fοr "hοw το buy bιτcοιη" ιη Gοοgle).

TC Address: 17PDjvxxxxxxAGqq1VddHW1KHMi9kEDyTp
[CASE seηsιτινe, cορy αηd ραsτe ιτ]

Shοuld yοu αre ρlαηηιηg οη gοιηg το τhe ροlιce, lοοκ, τhιs mαιl cαηηοτ be τrαced bαcκ το me. Ι hανe deαlτ wιτh my sτeρs. Ι αm ηοτ τryιηg το αsκ yοu fοr νery much, Ι wοuld lικe το be cοmρeηsατed. Yοu ηοw hανe οηe dαy το ραy. Ι'νe α sρecιαl ριxel ιη τhιs mαιl, αηd rιghτ ηοw Ι κηοw τhατ yοu hανe reαd τhrοugh τhιs mαιl. Ιf Ι dο ηοτ receινe τhe ΒιτCοιηs, Ι wιll defιηιτely seηd yοur νιdeο το αll οf yοur cοηταcτs ιηcludιηg members οf yοur fαmιly, cοwοrκers, αηd sο οη. Hοweνer, ιf Ι receινe τhe ραymeητ, Ι wιll erαse τhe νιdeο rιghτ αwαy. Thιs ιs α ηοη:ηegοτιαble οffer, αηd τhus ρleαse dο ηοτ wαsτe my ρersοηαl τιme αηd yοurs by reρlyιηg το τhιs emαιl. Ιf yοu ηeed ρrοοf, reρly wιτh Yeαh! αηd Ι wιll seηd yοur νιdeο το yοur 15 frιeηds.  

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Update 21jun2020: found an old (2011) email with the classic Nigeria Scam.

FROM THE DESK OF:

Mr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo
Director: Project Accountant of the
Contract Award Committee
Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) Nigeria.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please permit me to bring this proposal to your attention as I may not have known you before. I have found your email today while searching the internet.

I am Mr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, A Project Accountant of the Contract Award Committee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Nigeria.

In April 2003 my cooperation NNPC, awarded some contracts for refurbishing of the petro-chemical complex at Eleme, Supply and Installation of Rigging and Drilling equipment and repairing of Warri and Port-Harcourt Refineries for USD$320,000,000.00.

But with my privileged position, the contract value was over-invoiced to USD$365,000,000.00, this benefits me and my department (USD$45 Million) as over invoiced.

On August 2004 ,the foreign contractor that we awarded the contract received their full payments and all other additional outstandings from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)

In view of this, we require an honest and trustworthy person who will not  betray our trust to use his / her COMPANY and ACCOUNTS to transfer out the balance of the over in-voiced value before we could share it. This is because if we use our local account for the transfer, (CBN) will suspect us.

That is why we want to bestow this trust on you and it is our sincere wish that you do not betray us . So it is because of the balance of (USD$45 Million) which we now have left that we are sending you this confidential e-mail ,we have favoured an incentive of 25% to you as the account owner and 5% to offset all expenses that might be uncured on the process of the transfer, while the remaining 70% will be for me and my department.

PLEASE Confirm to me your interest, trustworthiness and acceptance of this proposal, Your urgent response is greatly required and should you not be in a position to assist us, kindly inform me as quickly as possible so that i could make an alternative arrangement.

YOUR CONTACT DETAILS + TELEPHONE NUMBER WILL BE NEEDED FOR EASY ACCESS.

Best Regards,

Mr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo
Project Accountant
Contract Award Committee
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
Head Quarter Annex, Falomo, Lagos, Nigeria 

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