Internet is full of information.At the same time it is full of risk wherein the information that you post or tender online can be misutilized.Internet scams are widely prevalent and they hit our emails ever now and then.I would like to present a case study of an internet email asking recipient to part with small sum of money.
Western Union Money transfer fraud
Here is the typical email that you may receive in your email box:
fromWestern Union ezemike26@yahoo.com
reply-towestern-unmoneytransfer@live.fr
to
dateWed, Aug 24, 2011 at 3:24 PM
subjectCOMFIRM THIS MESSAGE URGENT
hide details Aug 24 (9 days ago)
Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information. Learn more
FAST, RELIABLE, WORLDWIDE MONEY TRANSFER
Western Union Corporate Headquarters
12 BP 5001 Cotonou Benin Republic
Hotline: (+229) 97346041
What is going on, who is Jonathan T. Jefferson?
I was trying to get you on phone regarding your US$800,000.00 but the line was
not through.
However, this Jonathan visited my office on Monday, August 22 2011 with a
Beninios lawyer and application of claim over your US$800,000.00with this
financial institution.
Please, do confirm to me, as matter of urgency if this man is really from you
so that this office will not be held responsible for paying wrong person.
Based on board of directors meeting today, they have concluded to approve the
payment in his favor since you failed to fulfill the obligation given to you by
the western union to process your payment.
Therefore, if you are really serious and willing to receive the first payment
through western union, kindly get back to me and I will work with you to
complete the western union payment processing fees so that you will start
receiving your daily transfer.
Since Western Union Payment processing fee is $98, in my concerted efforts to
actualize your fund payment with the convenient time schedule I will raise $50,
so I am expecting $85 from you today.
As an insider in this Financial Institution, I must assure you that once you
send is demand fee we would now be under legal obligation to transfer the funds
to you within 6hours we confirm this $85. YES you must receive the first $5,000
within 6hours after you send this $85.
Kindly make the payment to:
Receiver: JOESPH JOHN OKOROAFOR
Country;BENIN REPUBLIC.
City: COTONOU
4.TEXT QUESTION:..........Where
5.TEXT ANSWER:.... ME
6.AMOUNT:...........$85
MTCN NUMBER......
I will like you to co-operate with me to retrieve this legacy payment left
behind than allowing the government of this country to forfeit it. I believed it
is a life time opportunity which every reasonable human-being will never allow
to slip by. We do business each day with an absolute commitment to ethics,
honesty and credibility.
Am waiting for your urgent response.
Mr.Den ROBERT
Operator Manager
Please observe the following things about this email:
(1) your email provider has identified this email as coming from a bulk-send with no legitimate purpose attached to bulk-send. Accordingly this has been categorized and put in your SPAM email folder.
(2) you would observe that in message header there are two email addresses provided.one is personal email id and the other an email id that looks official and related to Western Union.It is at the latter email id that the fraudster wished to commence the fraud by asking you to communicate there.He disassociates personal email ids alltogether.
(3) Because of two above,if you are using a rated email provider, then your spam message will be tagged with some color alert saying that this email does not seem to have been sent by the person whom it claims has sent(Western Union in the instant case).
(4) Then think who may give such huge amount to you as a transfer without prior contact and your knowledge and consideration.
(5) None of your personal information is carried in the spam email.
(6) You are never ever asked the confirmation or verification code(MTCN etc) that is sent to beneficiary in all such money transfer.
(7) without identifying you with your details ;the scammer is further trying to instigate you in hurried action by claiming that someone else is trying to claim the money.
(8) In the latter part scammer is clearly asking the fraud money $135.
(9) Out of this why should the scammer raise $50 and ask you to remit remaining $85.
(10) Once you remit $85 you would be out of money but even after 600 hours you would not receive anything as against scammers promise to send you money within 6 hours.
so best way is to delete such emails and be safe.
