Scammers have discovered that they don’t always need to send long and convoluted messages to hook their victims — sometimes a short mysterious message will do just as well. In this example, sent randomly to thousands of people around the world, “Mr. Xiao Gang” is hoping that if you’ll just answer him, he can find a way to trick you into sending him money. Like a sleazy salesman, he just wants to get you on the hook, and then he can take as long as he likes to reel you in.
Subject: From My Heart
From: Xiao Gang
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2015
Reply-To: xiaogan@yandex.com
I have a business proposal for you. If you are interested. Please revert back for more details.
Regards,
Mr. Xiao Gang
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The message below is an example of a charity “mystery scam.” It implies that you have money coming to you from a charity, but it gives no further information. The return-address used (@qq.com) points to a free website in China (like Yahoo or Hotmail) that scammers often use for criminal purposes. In reality, there is no “Charity Foundation Project” and “zinnhans@qq.com” is just a scammer trying to find a way to pick your pocket.
Charity Foundation Project For You….. E-mail:( zinnhans@qq.com ) For More Information.
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I want to make a Donation for Charity, reply to this email for details.
Ms. Gu Kailai
Like a sleazy salesman who figures if he can just get you talking, he can make a sale, these scammers send a short message to just get you on the hook. Then they’ll take weeks or months to reel you in. In reality there is no charity and there is no “Ms. Gu Kailai,” there is only a scammer trying to separate you from your money.
Very short “mystery scam” messages seem to be getting more common. They are the email equivalent of a telephone salesman who just leaves a messages saying “I’ve got a deal for you — call me!”
This one promises you a fortune, and all for free!
Reply-To: absapaymentonline@qq.com
From: diegosax@tin.it
Subject: VISA MONEYWISE CARD AVAILABLE
Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2015
A GRANT OF 750,000.00USD HAVE BEEN DONATED TO YOU, FOR MORE INFO EMAIL: prowumt@qq.com
But why would anyone donate $750,000 to you — someone you’ve never heard of? And why would it involve email addresses from Italy and China? (The qq.com domain is often used by scammers to create free email accounts.)
Email scammers didn’t used to send messages as attachments, but more and more this is being done. It gives them a chance to send a short email to hook you, and then an official-sounding letter to try to seal the deal. The example below is a classic “deceased foreigner” scam. “Alfred Abbott” died and abandoned a fortune in the bank, and if you’ll help “Bao Chang” get it out then you can have a percentage.
My contact with you is with respect to the estate of a deceased client, and an investment placed under our banks management 5 years ago. I am Bao Chang, Deputy Manager for the China Trust Commercial Bank, China.
Please see the attachment for full details. If you are unable to open the attachment, please send me a mail and I will resend full details to you.
Regards,
Bao Chang
And this is the contents of the attachment — better written than a lot of scam messages:
FROM THE DESK OF: BAO CHANG.
Date: May 14th, 2015
I am Bao Chang, Deputy Manager for the China Trust Commercial Bank, China. I am getting in touch with you regarding the estate of a deceased client, and an investment placed under our banks management 5 years ago.
I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail. I contact you independently and no one is informed of this communication. In 2009, the subject matter; Alfred Abbott came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of Forty-One Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars, which he wished to have us invest on his behalf.
Based on my advice, we spun the money around various opportunities and made attractive margins for our first months of operation, the accrued profit and interest stood at over Six Million. In mid 2012, he instructed that the principal sum be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Hong Kong.
We got in touch with the Kincheng Banking Corporation which is a specialist bank in China, and has now been merged with the Bank of China, with a foreign representative branch in Hong Kong who agreed to receive this money for a fee and make cash available to Alfred.
However, Bank of China got in touch with us this year that this money has not been claimed. On further enquiries we found out that Alfred was involved in an accident in Mainland China, which means he died Interstate. On further investigation we found out that Late Alfred left behind no next of kin and this is the reason I am writing you.
What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, and I can make you the beneficiary of these funds. My bank will contact you informing you that money has been willed to you. On verification, which will be the details I make available to my bank, my bank will instruct Bank of China to make payments to you. You do not have to have known him. I know this might be a bit heavy for you, but please trust me on this. For your assistance I propose to give you 30% of the total amount in question. In banking circles this happens from time to time, where people die without leaving a Will or beneficiary. The other option is that the money will revert back to the state once it is unclaimed within a specific time frame.
Nobody is getting hurt; this is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the KEY to these funds, and as a Chinese National we see so much cash and funds being re-assigned daily. I would want us to keep communication for now strictly by fax/mail, as time goes on I shall furnish you with my telephone number, so you can also reach me by phone. My spoken English is not too good, but you should be able to understand me.
Please, again, note I am a family man; I have a wife and children. I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to the consequences, however, I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should act swiftly on this.
I await your positive response.
Bao Chang.
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Why, you might ask, did you get a message asking you to provide Chinese lessons when you can’t speak Chinese? Probably because the message is a scam and was blast-mailed to tens of thousands of people randomly, even though you may think it was directed personally to you.
“Lucas Green” wants you to provide his son “Kenneth Green” with Chinese lessons, and will be glad to pay you. He’s ready to have his lawyer cut the check, in fact, so just send him your contact information. If you do, though, you’ll find that as with all advance fee frauds, you have to put some of your own money up front (probably to pay the imaginary lawyer’s fees), before you can get your payment (or so “Lucas” will tell you). If course if you do put the money up front, “Lucas Green” and his imaginary son Kenneth will disappear and you’ll never hear from them again.
From: Lucas Green lucasgreenheart@yahoo.co.uk
Subj: Chinese Tutor
Hello,
I’m Lucas Green, During my search for a lesson teacher that would help in taking my son (Kenneth). During is stay in USA. I found your advert and it is very okay to me since you specialize in the area I’m seeking for him. My son would be coming to your city before the end of this month for a period of time with his friend,
I’ll like to know if you can help in taking him for the lesson? just to keep him busy. Kenneth is 14 years old, So kindly let me know your charges cost per hour/lesson in order for me to arrange for his payment before he travels down to your side.
He will be staying there for one months.
Please Reply back on:
(1). Your charges per 1 hour (3 times a week for 1 Months):starting from 5th November Until 30th November 2012
(2) Total Cost For 12 class/12 hours lessons in 1 month
(3). The Day and time you will be available to teach him During the week:
Well am very happy that i see you as my Son tutor,about your years of Experience there is no problem about the lessons,my caregiver lives very close to the Area.
So there is no problem for the lesson OK my caregiver will be bringing him to your location for the lessons and you can teach my him Anywhere around you if that is OK by you so i will like you to teach my Son the best of you when he get to the USA for the lessons.
I will like you to email me with your schedule for the lessons, I will like you to email me with the name on the check and Full mailing address where the check will be mailed to and including your Home and Cell phone number because my attorney that want to issue out the check is leaving the State by this week okay and also Kenneth is a beginner lessons learning, Await your response asap.
Also the lessons will commence by 5th November Until 30th November 2012 is this okay by you?
I will be awaiting to read from you.
Best Wishes.
Lucas.
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This is a standard next-of-kin scam, asking you to pose as the only heir of a wealthy businessman who was killed in a car crash. The same names are recycled over and over (Engr. Mueller, in this case). Most such scams are built around actual people and real events, to lend an air of legitimacy to the story. Alas, the bank account and the bank official are all phony: it’s just a trick to empty your wallet.
from Dr. Yada Nasiru yadanasiru@w.cn
reply-to dr_yadanasiru@dr.com
date Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 03:44 AM
subject I Wait For Your Reply
Dear Friend.
My name is Dr. Yada Nasiru, A banker by Profession and Currently A Director of Finance Auditing and Accounting Unit in my Bank, Which the name will giving to you as soon as you respond for security reason.
I get your name and address in my search for a reputable and reliable person to help me claim the sum of USD$15.6 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS, Deposited in our bank by one of our customer Eng. Mueller who die with his wife and two children on the 21Th day of April 2001 in car clash along Aflao express road.
Since his death no one has come up as his next of kin and all our efforts to locate any member of his family immediate family has prove Abortive that was why I decided to see if I can get anybody who has the same surname or last name with him via Internet preferably some one of the same nationality with him which I believe you have all the qualities we need.
Why i am contacting you is to present you to our bank as the next of Kin to the deceased customer. He was Drilling contractor with some Oil Companies here in west Africa,also because you have the same surname/last name with him. So it will be more acceptable and wiser to present you through paper work to the Bank for claim of the total fund.
I will give you all the necessary requirements that the bank may request from you and follow up the transfer of the fund into your account as an Insider. It will interest you to know that I and my partners has been keeping the account dormant to enable our plans for the funds to come through and this is the time and we are happy to locate you for the perfection of the transfer of the Fund into your nominated Bank Account to be given.
As soon as I get your positive response on Email ( dr_yadanasiru@dr.com ) I will update you about the mode of disbursement and we will also need to know about investing in your Country as a way of helping your people who suppose are the original owners of this Fund, I suggest you get back to me as soon as possible through my direct telephone number +233-248-364-393 (dr_yadanasiru@dr.com) stating your wish in this deal.
Looking forward to your urgent response by updating me with direct Telephone and Fax number for easy communication.
Yours Specially
Dr. Yada Nasiru
=============================================
THIS E-MAIL IS MY TEMPORARY ADDRESS. FOR SECURITY REASONS, I PREFER YOU SEND ME YOUR REPLIES VIA MY PRIVATE CONTACT E-MAIL: dr_yadanasiru@dr.com
THANKS – Dr. Yada Nasiru
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Scammers depend on public ignorance to keep their scams alive. Please share our scam alerts with your friends, family, and coworkers today.
How could I not reply to someone with the marvelous name “Gawain G. Roos”? And especially since he’s so international, with a sender’s address in the US, a reply-to address in France, and a secretary in China. He says he contacted me before about the inheritance from his late client, but the only problem is … so many barristers have contacted me about so many inheritance claims, I can’t remember which client the distinguished Barr. Gawain is working for.
from GAWAIN G ROOS gawaing@bellsouth.net
reply-to anekwe_chinedu99@yahoo.fr
date Sun, Mar 28, 2010 at 4:48 AM
subject Now Contact My Secretary
I am the Barrister who contacted you long ago for an Inheritance claims, regards to my late client.
I am very happy to inform you about my success in getting that fund ransferred under the cooperation of a new partner from the United Emirate, Presently I’m in Dubai for an investment projects.
However you should contact my secretary in Cotonou Benin Republic, with the following information, Mr. Jerry White E-mail Address (jerrywhite02@w.cn) Ask him to send you the Cashier’s Cheque,sum of ($1500,000.00)one million five Hundred Thousand Dollars , which I kept for your compensation, however he will attend to you without delay. Furthermore you should also re-confirm the following information to my secretary, to avoid wrong delivery.
1, Your Full Name…
2, Your Address……
3,Phone Num….
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Mr. Lang Lu, the Audit Manager of the Asia Foreign Contractor’s Settlement Centre, tells a familiar story. If you’ll just agree to his conditions, he’ll allow you to transfer a fortune into your bank account. The money is coming from a “ghost bank account” you see, so it’s not like we’ll be hurting anyone. It’s just a matter of cleaning up the accounting, and there are always a few million left over. Why let the rich bank owners have it, when we could share it among ourselves?
from Mr. Lang Lu lulang5@gmail.com
reply-to lulang5@gmail.com
date Sat, Mar 27, 2010 at 12:36 PM
subject From Mr. Lu Lang / D28
Asia Foreign Contractors Settlement Centre
Peoples Republic of China.
Attention: Sir,
I feel quite safe dealing with you in this business proposition having gone through your remarkable profile on the internet and as one of the leading profit oriented companies which I intend investing part of my money into any profitable business you will introduce. Though, this medium (Internet) has been greatly abused, I choose to reach you through it because it still remains the fastest, surest and most secured medium of communication. However,this Correspondence is unofficial and private, and it should be treated as such. Before I introduce myself, I wish to inform you that this letter is not a hoax or Scam mail and I urge you to treat it with the seriousness it deserves. I also guarantee you that this business is hitch free from all what you may think of.
I am Mr. Lang Lu , 32yrs, male, single and the Audit Manager Asia Foreign Contractor’s Settlement Centre China Branch. My office monitors and controls all foreign contract settlement here in Hubei Province of China. I am the final signatory to every payment files for the remittance of huge funds moving within both on the local and international levels in line with foreign claim settlement. I have before me list of payment files, which have been identified either as an over-invoiced sum or ghost file. On this note, I wish to have a deal with you as regards to this unpaid funds as I have the file before me and all datas are correct and it is my duty to recommend the transfer of these surplus funds to the Chinese Government Treasury and Reserve Accounts as unclaimed entitlements, I have the opportunity to write you based on the instructions received two days ago from the inland revenue board to submit the List of payment reports/expenditures and audited reports of revenues before the end of next week.
My Conditions:
1) After the processing of all relevant legal documents with your name as the bonfide beneficiary, I will personally endorse your file here in my desk and the sum of $10.5million will be insured and deposited with a bank here in China who will then contact you and forward to you an online account details created in your favor and once you receive the online account details from the bank here in China, you will immediately log-in into the online account with the details forwarded to you and personally make a direct transfer from the account to any account there in your country and once you confirm the transfer, I will then fly down to your country for my share and your advise on how I can invest into your line of business.
2) This business must be kept secret forever, and all correspondence will be strictly by email and telephone for security purposes no fax messaging please.
3) There should be no third parties as most problem associated with foreign fund release are caused by agents or representatives.
If you AGREE with my conditions, I want you to send to me now your
FULL NAME:
ADDRESS :
and a DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER:
where I can call you and discuss in details and the business will commence without delay as I will proceed to fix your name on the Payment list instantly before the end of next week.
I hope you do not reject this offer and have your funds transferred.
Waiting for your reply soon.
Faithfully,
Mr. Lang Lu
Audit Manager
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Scammers depend on public ignorance to keep their scams alive. Please share our scam alerts with your friends, family, and coworkers today.
This is a simple and standard lottery scam message, tricked out with the usual code numbers and drawing references. I hadn’t come across one claiming to be from Toyota before, but over time I’m sure the names of many major corporations will end up appearing in scam messages. Scammers use them to lend credibility to their frauds — a backhanded compliment, I suppose, to the corporations themselves.
from: Toyota Japan Lottery lotto_agenttoyota@yahoo.com.hk
reply-to: claimsprocessorjohn@yahoo.com.hk
date: Sun, Oct 18, 2009 at 9:48 AM
subject: Contact our judiciary agent
Toyota Japan Lottery
Customer Service Department
Affiliate of Toyota Branch China.
28 Tanfield Road Tiaxiu lio Beijing China
Dear Lucky Winner,
We happily announce to you the draw of TOYOTA CAR INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION PROGRAM online Sweepstakes program held this year 2009.
You have won USD 1,000,000.00 (One Million United States Dollars Only) from Toyota lottery draw 2009.Your Email ID was one of the selected email all over the world in the lottery draw and it comes out one of the lucky winning number 05,12,30,11,17,43 and Bonus number 10 , Your INSURANCE Number: FLS433/453L /GMSA.
For us to process your winning for transfer you are advice to contact our judiciary agent with the details below in China for your payment.
Dr.John Lee
Foreign Services Manager,
Toyota Motors Cooperation China Branch.
Tel- +8613480076925
Email- claimsprocessorjohn@yahoo.com.hk
Please forward to him the following details below
1. Name (in Full):
2. Country:
3. Address:
4. Direct Telephone No Mobile:
5. Age:
6. Occupation/position:
Congratulations!! Once again.
Yours in service,
Mrs. Suzane Lang,
Online Coordinator.
www.toyota.com.cn
Here at the Scam Hunter website (scamhunter.org) we document scam messages like the one above in order to help people stay safe from online frauds and scams.
Scammers depend on public ignorance to keep their scams alive. Please share our scam alerts with your friends, family, and coworkers today.
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.
