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The message below is an example of a next-of-kin/abandoned-account scam. The scammer claims to have access to an abandoned bank account, and if you’ll pose as the next of kin, he’ll split the money with you. Alas, there really is no abandoned bank account: there’s just a scammer trying to pick your pocket.
i am (Mr zahoor halwa) a banker by profession from Burkina Faso in west Africa and currently holding the post of Audits and Account manager i have the opportunity of transferring the left over sum of ($10.5 Million Dollars) that belongs to late Mr Rudi Harmanto from Indonesia who died along with his entire family in the Asia Earth Quake (TSUNAMI, DISASTER IN INDONESIA / INDIA. 2004, and since then the fund has been in a suspense account. Because of the static of this transaction i want you to stand as the next of kin so that our bank will accord you their recognition and have the fund transfer to your account.
this money can be shared between us in the ratio of 50/50;
However, further details of this transaction and the text of application form will be forwarded to you as soon as i receive your return mail. I am waiting for your immediate response as you receive this mail.
Your Full Name………
Your Country………..
Your Personal Mobile Number………
Your Age……………….
Your Sex……………….
Thanks
zahoor halwa
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For several years the Asian counterpart to the African plane-crash scam has been the tsunami scam. That genuine natural disaster in 2004 has been exploited by scammers who are trying to pick the pockets of people around the world. In this example, a standard next-of-kin scam, you are asked to stand in as a family member to recover money from an abandoned bank account — abandoned by a tsunami victim. Alas, there’s really no bank account and no “Mr. Peter Lee.” There’s only a scammer trying to get your money into his bank account.
from: Peter Lee (petrllee@gawab.com)
reply-to: petrllee@yahoo.com.hk
date: Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 4:09 AM
subject: Your Response is Needed.
Greetings,
It is understandable that you might be a little bit apprehensive because you do not know me, please forgive this unusual manner to contact you, but this particular letter/email is of exceptional and very private in nature, as by virtue of my vantage position in the bank (which i can only tell you the name as soon as i hear from you.), I have a lucrative business proposal of mutual interest to share with you. There is no way for me to know whether i will be properly understood, but it is my duty to write and reach out to you, TRUSTING that you will give this proposal a positive consideration.
I am Mr.Peter Lee a South Korean, 55 years old and happily married with children, and i am a staff of a reputable bank, in charge of the International Remittance Department. I will need you to assist me in executing a business project from our bank worth US$25.5 Million. These funds were deposited with our bank by a customer of our bank who is a national {citizen} of your country/region, who unfortunately died in the December 2004 Asia Tsunami disaster.
For more on this natural disaster click on these links:-
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4381395.stm
The deceased account has been declared dormant since 2006 and these funds will be confiscated/declared unserviceable and turned over to the government if the deceased business associates or next-of-kin did not claim this money; since all efforts to trace any living relative of the deceased proved abortive,i have decided that i will have you claim this money as the deceased business associate/or next-of-kin. With the assistance of the Lawyer i am going to employ, everything concerning this transaction shall be LEGALLY done without any hitch, as i was the deceased account officer.
Please endeavour to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue, as i hope that you are a sincere,honest,matured person and above all TRUSTWORTHY. Once the funds have been successfully transferred into your account, we shall share it in a ratio of 30% for you, 65% for me and my associates in the bank and the reminder 5% to take care of contingencies.
For now,i will prefer you reach me on my private email address and finally after that i shall furnish you with more information about this operation. I am counting on your anticipated co-operation for a successful and hitch free business transaction between us, that will be mutually beneficial, for a start oblige me these Information:-
1. Your Full name{s}:-
2. Current contact address:-
3. Your present Occupation:-
4. Your age:-
5. Contact phone Numbers:-
6. Private email:-
Please if you are not interested delete this email and do not hurt me because i am putting my career and the life of my family at stake with this venture. Although nothing ventured is nothing gained.
Do give this proposal SERIOUS AND POSITIVE CONSIDERATION.
Your earliest response to this letter will be highly appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Mr. Peter Lee.
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Another tsunami victim! Mr. Brian Wayne left behind millions in the bank, and if you’ll only pose as his next-of-kin, you can get a cut. After all, he left no relatives and it wouldn’t really be stealing from anyone, would it?
From: Mrs. Bridget Hughes bridget.hughes@virgin.net
Date: Sep 13, 2005 10:33 AM
Subject: Re: Your Kind Interest
From: Mrs. Bridget Hughes,
Bank of Bermuda (Isle of Man) Limited
12/13 Hill Street
Douglas, Isle of Man IM99 1BW
British Isles.
Email: bridget.hughes@virgin.net
Re: Prospective Partner,
How are you, your family and business? I suppose you are doing very fine and this correspondence meets you in good health.
Though, we have neither met nor done any business together before, I am hopeful that this would be the beginning of a lasting mutually rewarding union among us if you give this proposal a priority attention. I believe business is risk, contacts and people worthy of trust hence, the need for this correspondent.
Before the Tsunami crisis one of our very good customer Mr. Brian Wayne who was a business man made a number of fixed deposit with us with a total value of Sixty Two millions Seven Hundred Thousand United State Dollars ($62.7 million USD) now representing the total account balance of Mr. Brian Wayne in my branch of the Bank of Bermuda. Upon maturity during the first financial quarter this fiscal year there was an arrangement made to send the money to China because of the oncoming fiscal policy only to discovered that Mr. Brian Wayne and his wife died in Khao Lak beach during the Tsunami in Thailand early this year.
After further investigation it was also discovered that Mr. Brian Wayne did not declare his next of kin in the official papers including the paper work of his bank deposit. He confided in me as his account manager that no one except his late wife and me knew of his deposit in my bank. Now, Sixty Two Millions Seven Hundred Thousand United State Dollars is lying in my bank as abandoned and no one will ever come forward to claim it. What bothers me most is that in accordance with the financial policies and regulations of this country, if an account is dormant for a period more than “Six Months”, the account would be frozen, investigated and total account balance sent to sundry account for the benefit of the Government of this country – Isle of Man. In avoidance of this therefore, may I crave your indulgence to represent the Next of Kin of Mr. Brian Wayne for the purpose of this transaction only which would be of immense benefit to both of us if pursued to its conclusion.
However, I would like to assure you at this junction that the success of this transaction is guaranteed provided that you cooperate with me and follow my directives hence, every arrangements to move these funds have been perfected but I need a trusted partner who talk less and worthy of trust. I am ready to consider your prize to the best of my ability and upon acceptance, a legally binding agreement shall drafted in association with this transaction and forwarded to you for your signature prior to the movement of funds in your names as would be agreed upon.
At the moment, all I need from you is your letter/E-mail of acceptance with your detailed “Resume Information” given me a better knowledge/understanding of my prospective partner which shall be forwarded to my legal adviser for necessary action to be taken as regards the legal documents of this transaction.
Your earliest response is appreciated to enable us conclude this matter is good time without delays.
Thank you for your kind attention in anticipation of your response ASAP.
Ben Aitua’s late father happens to be deceased, having been killed by a tsunami. The fortune he left to Ben is trapped, and only you can help release it. This is no joke! Nope, it’s a scam.
I am most sorry to intrude onto you like this. I am BEN the son of the late MR AITUA who hapen to be deceased. My late dad was a wealthy industrialist who is among the victims of the tsunami disaster at Asia.
he left a furtune for me at a finance company the sum of $5million dollars hidden in as consignment for investment purpose but now he is no more and i have no way of getting this funds alone so i sincerely need a sole outside partner who can assist me to retrieve this deposited funds. This was what my father told the finance company and they need the partner to contact them, of which without this they will not elease the consignment to me.
Please understand that this is no joke as i am serious. I propose to give you 25% from this funds if eventually you succeed in retrieving the funds for me.i have the proof of the existence of the funds in at the finance company where it is. Please contact me at your earliest convinent time for more details. I thank you for your humble commited mind to help me.
Following the tragic Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 a flood (!) of scam letters began circulating that spun their stories around this disaster. Most are standard next-of-kin scams. In this example a banker is said to have found an abandoned account that belonged to a tsunami victim and needs help from you (yes you, sucker) to get this money out of the country. Alas, there really is no cash-filled account; there’s just a scammer trying to pick your pocket.
I am Mr. Joseph Chau of Investment Banking, Union Bank Of China. On July 6, 2004, our client Mr. Irvin poot, a businessman, made a numbered fixed deposit for 6 (six) calendar months, with a value of US$20.5m only in my branch. Upon maturity several notice was sent to him and no response came from him. Another notification was sent early February and still no response came from him. The Bank officially sent two-man delegate to his residence in Malaysia were he reside only to find out that the business mogul and his family perished in the Tsunami disaster.
After further investigations, it was also discovered that Mr. Irvin Poot did not declare any next of kin in his official papers, including the paper work of his bank deposit. And he also confided in me the last time he visited my office that no one except me knew of his deposit in my bank. So, Twenty million, Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars is still lying in my bank and no one will ever come forward to claim it.
According to the laws of my country, at the expiration of one year (1 year) the funds will revert to the ownership of Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to claim the funds. I will like you as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Mr. Irvin Poot to enable you receive the funds. Lets put heads together to see how we can transfer these funds out of Hong Kong and use it judiciously.
I have contacted an Attorney that will prepare the necessary document that will back you up as the next of kin to Mr. Irvin Poot, all that is require from you at this stage is for you to provide me with your full names and Address including your direct phone and fax numbers for my Attorney to commence his job.
My Attorney will also file in for claims on your behalf and secure the necessary approval and letter of probate in your favor for the funds to be move to an account that will be provided by you. We are going to adopt a legalized method and the Attorney will prepare all the necessary documents and no risk involve.
Note that sharing percentage is negotiable by the two parties. Contact me on this email address with your full names, address, fax and telephone number (chaujoshx@primposta.com) if you are interested and more details will be provided to you about the Project.
Sincerely,
Chau Joseph.
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Please be aware that scammers often use the names of real people and legitimate businesses in their fraudulent messages. Why? To lend an air of legitimacy to their criminal enterprise. Just because the name of a real person or a real bank or a real government agency appears in a scam message that doesn't mean the person or organization in question is involved in the scam in any way. The scammers are just stealing these names in order to make themselves look legitimate.
