419 Scam Blow-by-Blow

timbos writes "Check out this six-page dissection of a 419 scam at The Register. In particular, the fake banking site that the fraudsters set up is interesting..."

Comments

1-419-COM-CAST.

[garcia]

Please carry out the following tasks, if it doesn't work then try from a different PC.
1.Click On Internet Explorer
2.Go to The TOOLS MENU
3.Go to Internet Options
4.Go to Advanced
5.Scroll down the list and Click/Tick the check box enabling Java
6. Restart Your Computer
7. Log on to UMCIB and go to e-banking then enter your usernameand password, this will take you to the transfer page.

If this doesnt work, please call me, my direct line is: +44-778 057 2211

The accounts department insist that there is no problem from here and the problem is from your end.

I apologise most sincerely for the delays and your inability to access your account, however it is not a problem from our end as the system shows that everything is working perfectly and you are the only one with this problem, please try again and if the system persists please let me know.

Sounds like a Comcast technician talking to a subscriber about why their billing system charged twice the month's bill every month for six months or why there has been intermittent block sync on the cable modem.

Service Tech: "Oh, if you were to purchase this $50 line filter we could install it for $90/hr and you wouldn't lose block sync anymore!"

The 419 scammers can't get away with it why should Comcast?

Moderators please note: this was an attempt at humor.

Re:1-419-COM-CAST.

[Anonymous Coward]

Moderators please note: this was an attempt at humor.

If you have to mention it, your attempt failed.

Re:1-419-COM-CAST.

[TedCheshireAcad]

Sounds like a similar scenario from SBC Internet Service. They told my mother that "there was a problem with her IP Telephony Stack Throughput" and that they would have to send a technician out there at $50/hour for about 3 hours to fix it. I re-started her DSL modem and it worked again. Brilliant.

Re:1-419-COM-CAST.

[ScottGant]

I had a similar experience where a company such as SBC wanted to send someone out that would charge by the hour.

I said, that's ok, just cancel my account cause there are other ISP's in my area, thanks. Before I could hang up they of course said "wait a minute" and "got the manager" etc etc.

Needless to say, they sent someone out to fix the problem...which happened to be a real hardware/line problem...for free.

While this may not always work, it most cases it does.

419 is Ohio

[Anonymous Coward]

Off topic, but the first time I saw a "419" scam I thought it had something to do with Ohio. :)

So, is anything actually done to promote awareness of these kinds of scams. I always chuckle at the variations I get in my inbox, but surely we're not just relying on common sense to save the majority of the populace... are we?

Re:419 is Ohio

[NanoGator]

"So, is anything actually done to promote awareness of these kinds of scams."

I think the darwinism that is taking place is handling most of the awareness.

Re:419 is Ohio

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes! There several things that are out there to help promote knowledge about these types of scams. There are a couple of websites this:
1) http://www.secretservice.gov/alert419.shtml : website from the Secret Service providing info about the 419 scam

2)www.419eater.com : this website is dedicated to scambaiting and information about 419. Includes a forum. "scambaiting" is a term used often to describe when someone pretends to be interested in a scam, but tries to waste as much of the scammer's time and resources as possible, in an attempt to keep him busy on the scambaiter, rather then on a potential victim

3) Scamorama.com : similar to 419eater.com. Includes news on 419 scams, forum as well.

4) aa419.org : this is dedicated to attacking 419 scammers with websites. It does this by stealing bandwidth from scammer websites, fake banks, etc. For example, the one listed in this article, www.umicb.com, is a fake bank. This site does it by taking images from the fakebank's websites, and then reloading its webpage, thus stealing bandwidth. At the first of every month, there is a 419 "Flash mob", where about a dozen or so fake bank sites' images are loaded to a specific page, and then many, many people go to these sites, in an attempt to shut down as many sites as possible.

5) if you do a search on google for "419 scam", there are also lots of sites.

Re:419 is Ohio

[FJ]

Having lived in the Ohio 419 area code, I can confirm that it is indeed a scam. Please send me money.

Article quote:

[shackma2]

"how could they be so stupid?", and "surely everyone is aware of these scams by now"

Thats about how I feel. Also its important to realize that scams like this exist everywhere, not just the internet.

Re:Article quote:

[fishwallop]

No bank communication I've ever seen has had such poor grammar and spelling. Furthermore, reputable institutions tend to prefer traditional mail to e-mail.

Consider a few sentences from a letter from one "Clive Bannister, head of international operations including private banking at HSBC Republic", which should have triggered suspicion:

"Cash movement across boarders has become especially strict since the incidents of 9/11"

"Four days later, information started to trickle in, apparently Moser was dead. A person who suited his description was declared dead of a heart attack in Canne, South of France"

And then this, which I think in English means "hey, wanna join my scam?":

"What I wish to relate to you will smack of unethical practice but I want you to understand something. It is only an outsider to the banking world who finds the internal politics of the banking world aberrational. The world of private banking especially is fraught with huge rewards for those who occupy certain offices and oversee certain portfolios."

Re:Article quote:

[ron_ivi]

It can happen to anyone. Funny how it has some parallels to this other nigerian fraud scandal.

If you haven't followed it, it was essentially "If you put $150-$180 million in this offshore bank account, I'll give your company a $5 billion contract for a Nigerian Natural Gas plant; and even kick back $5million to you personally."

Apparently even this big company that should have nown better said "sure".

Re:Article quote:

[GoMissedAtTheMAP]

It is hard to have much sympathy for someone who was so unethical as to think that this was OK if it was for real. It was spelled out for him that the money was not rightfull his, but here are the 'deceased's' personal details so that you can assist me with stealing the money. There were multiple thieves involved here, and hard times or not, the karma train took his $1000.

Re:Article quote:

[sTalking_Goat]

Whats really starnge about this is that its not a very sophisticated scam. A few years back I was almost phone scammed but only because the scammers had a lot of info from an old lawsuit I was invovled in with about 300 other people. They called me up claiming the company had settled and they need to info before they could send me my cheque. So I started spilling my guts until she asked me for my #SS and alarm bells started going off in my head. I asked what for and she started fast talking me. They almost had me. They had a lot of info they couldn't have gotten from public records. They even had my name right, which is unusual for telemarketers because my name is long and wierd and poeple tend to chop off the end or misspell it.

Re:Article quote:

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, Norbert J. Geisendorker, of 199 S. Cactus Ave, Brownsville Texas, that kind of information is pretty easy to obtain.

Oh, and say hi to your wife Maria for me.

Yeesh

[Otter]

This seems like a lot of work that could have been just as easily been expressed as "Hey, dumbass -- do you go around mailing random Africans to give them stacks of money? Well, they don't do that either! Just delete the damn emails!"

Did anyone get...

[AKAImBatman]

...the new Spam mail with links? I just received a very reasonable sounding spam that talked about how some official was involved in a money scam, and recently died. It then backs up those statements with the following links:

http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?fArticl eId=2696
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/headline/ f111052004.html

The thing was so convincing, that it went right past Google Mail's SPAM filter and landed in my inbox. (All other Nigerian scams ended up in the SPAM folder.) Takes things to a whole new level.

In case anyone's interested, here's the complete text:

Subject: Hi...partner needed

I do not want to intrude so I will be brief and try and get to the point. I
have to use this way to contact you because it is quicker and more secured
for me. In today's world, I know it is sometimes hard to believe stories from
someone you dont know because I know we have never meet. In our world a
female's rights are not equal to a man's. Hence I need to look for contacts
outside our shores. My name is Angela Afolabi. My father, Sunday Afolabi,
just died some weeks back in a London Hospital of Cancer. He was a former
Internal Affairs Minister inmy country up till last year. This was before he
fell out with the present government. And since then and up till his death,
life was not easy for me and the family, but I give thanks to god that I am
still alive.
Before the death of my father, things were not easy and though my father died
leaving a fortune to us, the Government has refused to release the funds. My
father was imprisoned for several months last year and I am sure this is what
hastened his death. He had been arrested for being involved in a National
Identity contract scheme involving a lot of money.
For more on this, go to:

http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?fArti cl eId=2696
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002 /headline/ f111052004.html

I and my family have gone through alot.
Currently, I need an agent for reasons which I will say later. I was close to
my father and you see my father revealed to me certain information about some
bond certificates and money with a firm abroad when he was sick. I never
realised he would die so soon. I am unable to act on it now for security
reasons.
As a young woman here in this country, my options are limited. So I need an
agent or a partner in this endeavour.

Thank you.

Angela.

Re:Did anyone get...

[mattdm]

...the new Spam mail with links?

What do you mean new? I've been getting 419 spam for years which contains links to news sites that support the story. For a while, I was collecting the different ones just for fun, and of the 800 or so such messages I got in about six months, almost 200 have references to legit news sites....

Re:Did anyone get...

[Anonymous Coward]

And your reply should have gone roughly like this:

Dear Angela,

I must admit, your offer sounds intriguing, and I am interested. However, before I proceed, I must ask you one simple question: how would you rate your cocksucking skills?

Thank you.

Yikes

[Giant Ape Skeleton]

The article makes for chilling reading.

Never before (outside of a David Mamet script) have I seen such a detailed picture of con artist
playing on someone's combined greed and credulity.

The art of the Con is alive and well...

Re:Yikes

[Strudelkugel]

You might find this book a fascinating read. It was written in the 1800s

Why is DG upset?

[Hatfieldje]

I mean, he got an e-mail that says:

US $8,370,000.00 has arrived here and you should have access to your account by Noon today.

This guy's rich. I hope someone sends me an e-mail telling me how I can get rich like him.

How to scam the scammers

[suso]

Just in case nobody else posts it:

http://www.419eater.com/

Just plain stupid

[Blindman]

Whenever I see the make money fast schemes on television or on the internet, my first question is always, "What do they need me for?" Schemes that actually make money sell themselves. All I know initially is that rather than invest money into the scheme itself they are spending it recruiting new people. Does this sound fishy? A person that really intends to commit fraud probably won't trust a random stranger.

I understand that people fall on hard times and get desperate for salvation, but outside of cinema does it ever just fall into your lap? I once went to a meeting that I didn't realize at the time was for a pyramid scheme when I was looking for a job. I assume I was being recruited based on that fact. I shudder to imagine how worse it would have been had I bought into that crap.

Hope is a beautiful thing until it makes people stupid.

Re:Just plain stupid

[cK-Gunslinger]

I love those "Cashless ATMs" and "Internet Terminal" schemes they offer on TV. Basically, they do all the the work and you just collect the profits each week! Ha! My favorite line is, "Millions have joined up, but the best locations are still available!" I wonder if those "millions" of people who signed up see those commercials and go, "WTF?! People are getting better locations than me?"

Re:Just plain stupid

[timholman]

I love those "Cashless ATMs" and "Internet Terminal" schemes they offer on TV. Basically, they do all the the work and you just collect the profits each week! Ha! My favorite line is, "Millions have joined up, but the best locations are still available!" I wonder if those "millions" of people who signed up see those commercials and go, "WTF?! People are getting better locations than me?"

Anyone who is curious about those movie/phone/internet kiosk commercials you're always seeing on the SciFi channel ought to check out kioskscams.com. According to this site (set up by one of the victims) they're all shell companies being run by the same group of criminals operating in Florida.

These guys collect the money under a shell corporation, declare bankruptcy, then move on to a new set of victims under a new corporate name. Neither the state of Florida nor the U.S. government has moved against them yet. At $20K (or more) per victim, the kiosk scammers make 419 scammers look like petty thieves by comparison.

Greed

[Mr_Silver]

At the end of the day, all these scams center around one thing - that is, that the person is greedy enough to be prepared to bend a few rules to get hold of a seemingly preposterious amount of money.

Every time I see a TV programme where someone who was interviewed who had been ripped off, I have to keep remembering that all semblence of common sense and decency went out of their minds in the pursuit of wealth.

For example, who really thinks that there is nothing wrong with going about pretending to be a dead persons uncle to claim money that isn't rightfully yours?

Re:Greed

[LostCluster]

Every time I see a TV programme where someone who was interviewed who had been ripped off, I have to keep remembering that all semblence of common sense and decency went out of their minds in the pursuit of wealth.

This is an interesting component of 419 schemes that cause US law enforcement resources to not care about them. See, since any 419 scheme in order to be credible involves an offer of what would have been an illegal transfer of money to you, the fact you got burned becomes a natural consequence of your attempt to break the law.

If we have so many laws against money transfers to terrorists, just how do you think a few million is going to be given to you in any way that the IRS can't get its hands on?... You should know that if you do get the money promised in the way they promise you'd be breaking the law, and that's why law enforcement isn't behind you when you go crying "SCAM!"

Re:Greed

[br0ck]

US law enforcement do care. Check out all of the US agencies fighting 419 scams on this page.

have mercy on 419 dudes

[rozz]

Please carry out the following tasks, if it doesn't work then try from a different PC. 1.Click On Internet Explorer 2.Go to The TOOLS MENU 3. ...

please stop bashing the 419 scammers .. the poor guys have enough problems already

Re:Mother nature at work.

[Anonymous Coward]

I love natural selection.

Me too, taking your lunch money and giving you swirlies helped me get the cheerleaders in high school, which increased my confidence, leading to better jobs, which further increased my attractiveness as a potential mate, which led to me having much better luck in my mating endeavors than you.

Sincerely,
the rest of the world who is tired of attempted slashdork elitism

419 scams

[WarMonkey]

Fraud is wrong. Laws against it should be enforced. But even so, this whole matter raises some questions...

By increasing the speed, reach and convenience of communication, are we creating a world where those who refuse to learn are more readily identified as fools, and then allowed to screw themselves up?

Might that, on some level, be a Good Thing(tm)?

I work in tech support. I am continually amazed by the lack of critical thinking skills people exhibit.

This is not a "technical" thing. People act like retards because they have no sense of responsibility for their own selves.

At what point do we say "The world has tried to protect you from yourself long enough. It's on YOU now!"

Scam-o-rama...

[abborren]

...is as interesting site found when researching these scams, Scam-o-rama. It contains lots of e-mail conversations with scammers and also some funny pictures. They also have an interesting case when somebody actually scammed the scammers (see the stories marked in red)

Re:OMGWTFLOL SLASHDORK

[Anonymous Coward]

You're new here aren't you?

I doubt it, that poster has the appropriate level of Slashangst.

Note to Soviet moderators: This humor is an attempt at you!

Payment to SCO

[Nom du Keyboard]

Hey, I just sent my $699 license payment to SCO through that bank. I'm sure they'll get it any time now and I can go back to running Linux legally.

They also offered to accept my $3000 RIAA apology-for-using-KaZaA payment.

And next week they've promised me a toaster for opening my new account.

Re:Mother nature at work.

[Blindman]

The problem is that it transfers resources from the stupid to the morally bankrupt. I don't know if either group deserves to spread its genes. Furthermore, a lot of the "stupid" have already spawned.

Me me me!

[raehl]

For example, who really thinks that there is nothing wrong with going about pretending to be a dead persons uncle to claim money that isn't rightfully yours?

What's wrong with that? It's the $1,000 up-front out-of-pocket expense that I object to.

Re:Mother nature at work.

[sTalking_Goat]

stories like these constantly increase my admiration and respect for mother nature's constant efforts to refine and improve our gene pool. I love natural selection.

Not really. Statistically the poor and uneducated tend to have MORE children than eductaed middle class and above families. Take a drive though your local ghetto/trailer park and check out the preganant teenage high school dropouts with three kids trailing behind them.

This natural selection thing has got some bugs.

The 419 scammers are hilarious!

[shic]

My anti-spam hiccupped a couple of weeks ago and I saw one of their mails while sipping my first morning coffee. Clearly inflation was a serious problem in Nigeria... they wanted my help shifting 9 billion dollars someone unexpectedly misplaced. How sorry I felt for him trying to launder a sum in excess of the national GDP!

You gotta love the java ebanking

[PowerBert]

Why can't my bank store it's customers account information inside a java applet. That way I could download my account and take it with me ;)

strings account.class | grep -i welcome
Welcome Richard J Cronan
WELCOME SIMON K. YI
WELCOME DONALD GENE GILMORE
WELCOME KURT OBAN
Welcome GUENTER REITH
Welcome RAYMOND SEAH
Welcome KENNETH W. BUSSA
WELCOME VINCENT STURDIVANT
WELCOME MONIQUE RODRIQUEZ
WELCOME ROYLEAN COLLINS
WELCOME Jean Paul Bouchet
Welcome ALBERTO T ORTEGA
Welcome Orin Gillian
Welcome Teimuraz Ramazashvili
Welcome HENRY PARK
Welcome MAURICE AMANG
"WELCOME DR. HENGAMEH GHAEN-MAGHAMI

Poor old DG, or should I say "DONALD GENE GILMORE"

interestingly the java class also contains the string "Please Produce Anti-Terrorist Certificate"

Here's a HUGE FUCKING HINT

[Ayanami Rei]

Relatives of really rich or powerful people DO NOT email random people to move money out of the country.

There are plenty of other, easier, and safer ways to do that, especially for rich people.

There's nothing reasonable about it.

Beware of shakespearean bankers

[Random_Goblin]

let's not forget the intitial e-mail from a yahoo.co.uk account

From: "Sarah Londom"
To:
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 9:40 PM
Subject: H.S.B.C.## STANDARD CLAIMS ENQUIRY?

Date: 05/06/2004
Greetings,

Transfer of Title Enquiry:H.S.B.C.

My name is Sarah Londom. I work as an executive partner for the firm Dupont consulting and Londom, Investment Brokers and Security Consultants U.K.
We are conducting an end of year consolidated financial statement for the year ending Mar.2004 under conjunctional agreement with H.S.B.C. This notary enquiry involves a client who shares your surname and also the circumstances surrounding investments made by this client at H.S.B.C.(Republic) A Commercial and Investment arm of the parent Bank. It was brought to our knowledge that the formentioned client died in testate and nominated no next of kin to the title over the investments made with the Bank. We came to know of you via the London. Global. Database.Center (L.G.D.C.) Hence we are making this contact. The essence of this communication with you is to request that you provide us with information on 3 KEY issues.
1. Are you aware of any relative/relation who's last contact address was Brussels, Belgium?
2. Who shares a similiar name with thee?
3. Who' date of birth on file was 27/07/1932?

Thank-you for your time.

Best regards,

www.touchbirmingham.co.uk/comdir/cditem.cfm/4541
Mrs Dupont.Sarah Firth-Londom

E-Mail:SARAHLDUPONT@YAHOO.CO.UK

not going into the obvious why is this person using a yahoo account for business. What is this womans name? Sarah Londom, Sarah L Dupont, Mrs Dupont Sarah Firth-Londom... I mean isn't one name enough for this woman?
"It was brought to our knowledge that the formentioned client died in testate" do you mean aforementioned there? I think you do, and "in testate" hmm that actually means the opposite of intestate
the whole phrasing is just poor, like someone trying to sound official. I particuarly like the weird "2. Who shares a similiar name with thee?"


On the whole I find myself having very little sympathy for the sucker in this scam... these are the same stupid bastards who think sending SPAM to buy their sugar pills is a great way to make quick money... ,

ScamCop

[cbr2702]

Dear Sir,

I am moved by your plight and would sincerely like to help however I can. Would you please leave your contact information so I know where to to send the money?

-- Clive Bannister

usbank spoof warning

[DumbSwede]

For honest users this isn't half as scary as things like the usbank scam Where http://www.infousbanupdate.com/internetBanking/ Claims to be a link to usbank in your email, the link brings up your browser And if it is a default IE, a Javascript or ActiveX overwrites the URL with a bogus www.usbank.com URL when it is really www.infousbanupdate.com, if done from the link in your mail it is flawless except for the secure lock symbol, which they spoof by Just putting a picture in the main page rather than on the brower's bottom border.

The whole purpose to steal ID PINS and Passwords.

If you are a usbank member, beware any mail claiming need you to log in for some security check.

Nigerian scammers have no shame...

[Dimensio]

I know of two Nigerian scammers who are willing to defraud a church of over $20,000. How do I know this? Because I claim to be a pastor of the church with the means to give them church funds. They are so greedy that they were willing to be baptized in the name of our Church. I even got them to sign the church membership agreement.

Now if I can just get a tithe from them...

What about the 420 scam?

[Rai]

All I got was a lousy bag of oregano. I call shenanigans!

Project Gutenberg has this online

[sacrilicious]

Here are the links:

• Memoirs Of Extraordinary Popular Delusions -- Vol 1
• Memoirs Of Extraordinary Popular Delusions -- Vol 2
• Memoirs Of Extraordinary Popular Delusions -- Vol 3

419 Victim Blacklist - PROTECTED FOR LIFE!

[dekashizl]

I have a SOLUTION for 419 victims. If you've been a victim of a 419 scam, you can sign up on my "419 Blacklist". The way it works is that all 419 scammers are required to check their victims against this list, and if they are on the list, THEY CANNOT BE SCAMMED!

This is like a "Do Not Scam" registry (like the FTC's "Do Not Call"). It REALLY WORKS!

All you need to do is send your Name, address, SSN, and the credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and PINs of any and all accounts you wish to protect. Just a single email, and you're PROTECTED FOR LIFE!

This service normally costs $100 initially plus $50 per account you wish to protect, but I am making it available to Slashdot members for a special rate. I will WAIVE THE $100 SIGNUP FEE! Just send the information and paypal the fee to me and you will be PROTECTED FOR LIFE!

How can you lose? See what other members are saying:

"I feel protected. FOR LIFE!" -- Jack Hortens, 2003
"Thanks for protecting me for life." -- Peter Luzzo, 2003
"I've never felt so protected, especially for life." -- Thomas Frank, 2004

Sign up now.

Similar scam, but I have their $4000 check.

[volvoguy]

It's amazing how common these scams are online these days. I was contacted by someone on a dating website who claimed to live in my area but was currently working in Africa. They claimed they couldn't cash their paycheck there and asked if they could send it to me to cash and send back to them via Western Union. Assuming it was just someone goofing around, I told them to go for it and received a cashiers check in the mail about a week later for $4000. I took it right to my bank, knowing that they could check the routing numbers and such and it only took them about 30 seconds to notice that nothing on the check matched up. Apparently many people just mindlessly take these checks in and get the cash - then send it off to an address in Africa. About a week later when the bank tries to process the check, they discover it's a fake and the guy that cashed it is responsible for paying the money back. I scanned everything and sent all the info I had to everyone that could possibly be involved - Yahoo (where we chatted and emailed), UPS (who delivered the fake check), the dating website, Western Union, the FBI, my local police department... and the only response I got was from the dating website telling me the offending profile would be removed. It's kinda cool to show off my fake $4000 check from a fake African bank though. :)