Tag Archives: scam

No, this is NOT the Ambassador to the Benin Republic

Posted on by The Old Wolf

It should go without saying. It’s so blatantly obvious. But sadly, people still do fall for this. I post these in the hope that even a single soul, somewhere, who has received this same message will do a search online and find this post.

These ignorant criminals, sitting in rat-infested internet cafes in various places in Africa, don’t give up because people continue to fall for their lies. These people have no morals. Please protect yourselves and your loved ones from the activities of these scum-sucking bottom-feeders.

NEVER RESPOND TO SCAM EMAILS LIKE THIS ONE.

38_021022_nigerianemailmain.jpg.CROP.original-original

Subject: DEAR SCAM VICTIM PLEASE REPLY IMMEDIATELY

From: James Knight <jamesknightambassador7@gmail.com

To: undisclosed-recipients:;

ATTENTION DEAR

US Ambassador to Benin Republic

Without mincing words, I am convinced 100% that you have had bitter experience with various ‘scammers’ claiming to be high government officials and thereby defrauding you of your ‘hard-earned money’. The activities of these scammers has changed your perspective about conducting business on the internet, and you now believed there is no genuine business that can be conducted on the internet anymore. Well, I am an American and the internet was created by Americans for the purpose of creating awareness for your products/services and conducting genuine business with easy. I am fully committed to deliver the “diplomatic consignment” to you in the United States in order to differentiate myself from the many Benin Republic you have dealt with. I am a full citizen of the United States , but I was on a Foreign Mission here in Benin as an US Ambassador. Hence, I am making every efforts to ensure that no citizen of the United States is cheated by Benin Republic .

Therefore, I need your utmost support and understanding to actualize this dream. I also want you to understand that I do trust you and I expect you to show me the same trust and respect in return since trust is a 2-ways street, On the other hand, trust is a relationship of reliance, Trust also means being able to predict what other people will do and what situations will occur.

Trust is both an emotional and logical act. Emotionally, it is where you expose your vulnerabilities to people, but believing they will not take advantage of your openness. Logically, it is where you have assessed the probabilities of gain and loss, calculating expected utility based on hard performance data, and concluded that the person in question will behave in a predictable manner. In practice, trust is a bit of both. I trust you because I have experienced your trustworthiness by merely believing in what I have said, even when you have not seen me, and because I have faith in human nature.

Frankly speaking, I understand that anyone in your shoes will feel betrayed, but I still want you to show me your trust by giving me the benefit of doubt on this delivery arrangement. My identity and personality is verifiable, and I promise to deliver the consignment to you in the United States without any hitch. Please do not allow this mission to die off because of US$145.00 TO REGISTER YOUR PACKAGE AS AN AMBASSADORIAL PACKAGE, I meant so well for you and I believe you will appreciate me more when you have finally received your partial payment of US$2,5Million upon my arrival with the package in United States . I will use my position and personality to deposit the US$2,5Million into your bank account in the United States without questioning from the financial monitoring authorities, since all documentations proving the legitimacy of the funds has been processed.

Please don’t see me as one of the numerous dubious Benin Republic you have dealt with in the past. I am a different person entirely and I came from a different continent. I have the American spirit in me and I hate cheaters. I promise to always uphold the national unity of the United States . Please reply back ASAP and let me know your possibility of sending the US$145.00 today.

You can send it via western union Or Money Gram with below name.

Reciever’s name………Simeon Ekwe
Country……….Benin Republic,
City………..Cotonou,
Text Question…….God?
Answer……….Bless,
Amount ……..US$145.00 Only
MTCN…….
Sender’s name…..

Note that you are expected to send the fee right immediately to enable me register your package as an AMBASSADORIAL PACKAGE because once i package that it will give me ability to pass through every Custom offices without interception of the package.

Respectfully yours,

Mr.James Knight
US Ambassador to Benin Republic
+229-982-767-81.

“Ambassador to Benin Republic”. Right. You can spot the bad English of these filthy criminals a mile away if you are in the least familiar with their scams.

Be careful out there and protect yourselves and your loved ones.

The Old Wolf has spoken.

Beware the re-scam

Posted on by The Old Wolf
To: <hm-treasury-uk@rogers.com>
Subject: Re: Hello!!!

Top of the day greetings to you. Are you a scam victim?
Have you lost money, property to Internet fruadsters in the past?
This message is only for those that has been scammed in one way or the other.
HM-Treasury UK wishes to compensate all scam victims  beneficiary with the sum of One Million British Pound Sterling, as part of the ongoing promotion.
Contact the chancellor of the HM-Treasury for claim, and further details about this compensation.

Regards,
Jon Thompson

Emails like this are patently transparent to anyone who is even slightly aware of the Nigerian advance-fee fraud, but sadly there are a lot of people out there who are not. Hence this post, which might just turn up for someone who receives the same kind of rubbish and searches around to see if it’s legitimate.

It’s not. it’s a scam. These people want to steal your money.

The British treasury has much better things to do with its funds than give out millions of pounds to scam victims. These slime-covered drones are playing on the hopes and fears of anyone who has already been taken for a ride, thus proving themselves to be gullible pigeons. Sadly, there are some out there who would take this bait.

scam-alerts2

Delete emails like this immediately. Do not respond. Save your money and your sanity.

The Old Wolf has spoken.

Wow, Ban Ki-Moon knows who I am!

Posted on by The Old Wolf

Today’s mail from the Lads from Lagos:

From: “UNITED NATIONS” <cbnexecutive@onebox.com>

Subject: FUND RELEASE ALERT: NO UPFRONT FEES

United Nations Headquarters

New York, NY 10017, United States
Tel: +17754105879

Hello beneficiary,

This is to bring to your personal notice that the United Nations(UN) in collaboration with International Monetary Fund(IMF) have considered you as one of the recipient of the AWARD from the UN. The award is aimed at assisting Entrepreneurs to advance upwards and to encourage Philanthropy as well. This is our goal an Non-Profit/Humanitarian organization.

As a recipient ofthis honorable award, you will be receiving the sum of US$10.5million (US$10,500,000.00). Please do accept this pay and also help the less haves around your community.

We have have contracted the Zenith Bank Plc, to handle this payment to you as quickly as you contact them on their detail below:
 

All you have to do is to contact Chief Financial Officer of Zenith Bank – Mr Stanley Amuchie with your detail and he will do the necessary thing to put back smile on your face once again.

Submit the following:

Your Legal Names:
Contact Address:
Telephone:
Occupation:
Date of Birth:

Contact Person:  Mr Stanley Amuchie
Email: (zenithtransact@mailbox.sk)

Thank you.

Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary General,
UNITED NATION
New York, USA.
Send your replies to: zenithtransact@mailbox.sk
——————-
In case it’s not clear to anyone who receives the same kind of email – this is a scam. Ban Ki-Moon would not be sending email of this nature to any individual, let alone from an email address like “cbnexecutive@onebox.com,” or with a return address at some random mail service in Slovakia.
Despite the proclamation “No Upfront Fees,” you can be 110% certain that any victim who responds to this sludge will be asked for money in one form or another, again and again, until they finally catch on or are rendered penniless and indebted.
No Because No
Erika Eichelberger recently wrote at Mother Jones about her opportunity to interview a couple of these drones – it makes an interesting read.
These scams are rampant, and will continue as long as there are people who are willing to sacrifice their ethics for what they perceive as quick and easy cash. Be careful out there.
The Old Wolf has spoken.

So about that “Complimentary Trip” (Part II)

Posted on by The Old Wolf

Click through for Part I of this travel scam.

So after sending in my certificate to IIG Promotions, including a SASE, we received this from Travel Select Rewards:

“Dear [Recipient]:

Thank you for choosing the Travel Select Rewards 7G.

Enclosed is the Certificate you selected. Please read all the terms and conditions before sending in the Registration Form included in your Certificate. We will not be able to take any calls prior to registering your selected certificate(s). [In other words, we’re not going to help you with this process. If you make the tiniest mistake, you’re screwed.]

IMPORTANT: Depending on the reward you have selected, your Registration Form must be received within 21 days or 30 days from the issue date of your Reward Certificate, or your Reward Certificate is void. Please reference the certificate(s) for clarification of all the terms & conditions and time requirements. Voided certificates will not be acknowledged or returned.

Reward

Here, in full, are the terms & conditions referred to everywhere. My comments are in [brackets and in blue.]

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

You have received an exciting airfare promotional offer. [Note: Unlike the original postcard, this is not a “complimentary vacation.”] Below you will find the terms and conditions regarding this promotional offer. These terms are important to the processing of your reservation. Please carefully read them in their entirety.

[How many people will actually take the time to do this? “I have read and accept the End User License Agreement” is one of the most-frequently told lies on the internet today.]

Description of the Program:

This offer includes round-trip coach airfare departing to and from a major US internaational airport within the continental U.S., Puerto Vallarta or Cancun, Mexico and three days and two nights of standard hotel accommodations for two adults (double occupancy required). Recipient and guest must be 21 years of age or older, be a U.S. citizen and possess a valid driver’s license and a major credit card. A purchase of two additional nights of accommodations at an IIG Promotions approved hotel property will be required if the recipient selects a Mexico destination. [Note: at no time does the “offer” say anywhere that you have won a “free trip.” If you got this certificate as the result of sitting through a high-pressure vacation club presentation, be assured that it is worth precisely $0, and will end up costing you a lot of money.]

Registration Form Requirements:

Log on to http://www.rewardregistrationcenter.com to build your IIG Promotions online profile within 30 days of the issue date of offer. Once your offer is registered, you will be provided a link to your Travel Request Form (TRF) to begin the booking process.

If you do not have internet access, you may complete the attached Registration Form and return the original (NO COPIES) to IIG Promotions. Registration Form must be received within 30 days of the issue date of offer. Once your registration is accepted, a TRF will be emailed to you within 14 business days to begin the booking process. If an email is not provided, a TRF will be mailed to you. [Notice all the time-sensitive dates in this offer. Any delay whatsoever, whether your fault or not, will void the offer.]

A $100 refundable deposit in U.S. Dollars, in the form of a money order or cashier’s check will be required at the time of mailing your TRF. Failure to follow all registration requirements, terms of offer, and deposit not being received in the time frame specified renders offer & certificate void without exception. Mail all correspondence to IIG Promotions, P.O. Box 3479, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86405 [Based on the myriad complaints out there about this outfit, getting any money back from them is either impossible or a nightmare. The fact that they only accept payment in money orders or cashier’s checks is a huge red flag.]

General TRF and Offer Requirements:

  • Three different preferred dates of departure and destinations are required. [They’ll validate the cheapest one for you.]
  • A 60 day minimum advance notice for preferred travel dates is required. [So they can find the cheapest fare.]
  • Preferred travel dates must be in chronological order and be at least 30 days apart.
  • Offer is for double occupancy and both travelers must travel on the same itinerary.
  • Monday or Tuesday departures only [This limits your options significantly. If you didn’t take the time to read these terms and conditions carefully and propose travel dates outside these two days, your entire offer will be voided and the cost will be sky-high.]
  • Refundable deposit will be applied to outstanding travel fees and taxes due at time of booking.
  • Recipient is required to pay all government taxes, carrier/supplier imposed fees, ticketing/servicing fees (approximately $119 to $219 per person) and any upgrades selected at the time of booking. These fees will vary based on the destination and dates selected.
  • Recipient and guest’s base coach airfare (excludes government taxes and carrier-imposed fees) is not to exceed $200 per person. [Note: your base fare can’t be more than $200.00, but taxes and fees will most likely be at least $219 per person. This is hardly what classifies as a “deal” in anyone’s book. In the end, you will end up paying almost as much or more for a trip than if you had booked it yourself online using a travel aggregator and looking for your own deals.]
  • Payment must be made using a major credit card; payment cannot be refunded after travel is confirmed. [This makes it impossible for you to get your funds back if anything goes sideways.]
  • Departure and arrival destinations are restricted to IIG approved international airports. [But they don’t tell you which ones those are before you send in your $100 deposit.]
  • Hotel accomodations are at one of hundreds of nationally known hotels in our system such as Intercontinental, Choice, Wyndham, and other hotel affiliates.
  • Only one offer per household will be issued during the promotional offer time period and all travel must be completed within 12 months from your issue date.

Correspondence:

To keep offer from becoming invalid, all correspondence is time sensitive and needs to be returned by mail in the designated time frames. [If you don’t, the whole ball of wax is void.] You will receive a written confirmation with directions and check-in times (if applicable) by mail or email about two weeks prior to your departure date and only after your vacation has been paid in full for any outstanding governmental taxes, service fees and or additional travel services if ordered through IIG Promotions. It is important that you do not leave for your getaway vacation until you have received written confirmation. IIG will not be responsible for travel arrangements made prior to the confirmation of your trip.

Miscellaneous:

Request for travel dates, cities, ports of departure, travel itineraries and airport offerings outside what is allowed in this promotional offer will result in your travel becoming a discounted trip. [The price of that discounted trip will be astronomical. Have a look at some of the complaints.] Once reservation is booked, failure to show for hotel reservations will result in recipient being charged the full retail value of offer [guaranteed to be some astronomical random number.] Some destinations may be considered high demand year round. This offer is valid for weekday travel during low season with year round usage when available for a surcharge [guaranteed to be astronomical.] During high season, special events, weekends, conventions, holiday and peak travel periods a surcharge [guaranteed to be astronomical] will apply, when available. Holidays and Peak Travel Periods are defined as one full week before, during or after any major government holiday or during the months of March, June, July and August. Non-stop flights, class of service of accommodations, length of getaway not covered in offer are available upon request and require an upgrade fee [guaranteed to be astronomical.] Primary certificate holder must make deposit payment. [If someone else pays the deposit, the offer is void, and good luck getting that money back.] All travel components are restricted to Published and Tariff fares. All travel components are subject to IIG’s promotional availability and booked at IIG’s sole discretion. IIG reserves the right to substitute offer components without notice. This offer does not include the cost for additional guests, extra nights and upgrades or any type of incidental expenses such as but not limited to food, beverages, hotel amenity/resort fees, government taxes, gratuities, travel insurance, and service charges, Sorry, no pets. IIG is not responsible for travel suppliers schedule changes. IIG will make every effort to accommodate your preferred travel date(s) but has the right to add, delete or substitute travel dates, resort, hotel and or destinations. IIG has the option to substitute another promotional travel offer of equal or greater value if this offer becomes unavailable.

Refund/Cancellation Policy:

If a need arises to change travel or services booked, all reservations are final and non-refundable. [Sorry, you’re screwed again.] Cancellation Policy – Cancellation penalties apply and certificate will be ineligible for future use. [Good luck getting any of your money back, sucker.] Confirmed reservations may be changed based on travel supplier policy and at IIG Promotions sole discretion, a minimum fee of $25 applies [but you can be sure it will be a lot more] and is the sole responsibility of the recipient. Should you need to cancel your reservations, prior to being booked, IIG Promotions must receive written notice 30 days prior to the expiration of your travel offer. Cancellation must be sent U.S. Certified mail to: IIG Promotions, P.O. Box 3479, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86405

Limit on Redemptions:

Failure to adhere to the terms and conditions outlined in this offer or appear on a confirmed reservation, late correspondence, submission of an incomplete Registration and or Travel Request Form, will result in forfeiture of offer and wil not be acknowledged or returned. Reissue Policy – IIG Promotions does not assume any liability or responsibility for lost or stolen certificates. [This clause is the biggest loophole of all. If you make a single mistake anywhere along the byzantine booking/redemption process, your offer goes up in smoke, and they don’t even have to tell you about it. Your deposit, were you foolish enough to send one in, vanishes like the dew under a desert sun.]

Non-transferable: No Cash Value:

[Brother, they got that one right.] This offer is non-transferable and cannot be sold or redeemed for cash, nor shall any rebates, refunds or credits be issued for any unused time, day (s) or space. This offer is not valid in conjunction with any other discount or promotional offer, nor is it valid for use with group travel. A group is considered two (2) or more families traveling together or meeting at the same destination with the same arrival date.

Limitation of Liability:

This offer us void where prohibited by law. IIG Promotions reserves the right to substitute the components of the offered vacation and varied itinerary with equal or greater value without verbal or written notification should circumstances so require. [Don’t ask, we won’t tell.] IIG Promotions does not assume any liability for damage, expense, or inconvenience, nor for any loss, injury or death or damge to any person or property at any hotel or on any aircraft/ship, or in transit to or from said hotel/aircraft/ship or for any cause whatsoever due to delays, cancellation due to nature, mechanical breakdown, strikes, or acts of God. All federal, state and local laws apply. IIG Promotions assumes no responsibility for any promises or claims, written or verbal made by anyone, other than those made in the terms and conditions provided herein. [In other words, if the pitchman you talked to promised you anything at all, if it’s not in this contract, you’re out of luck.] This is a promotional offer [note: not a “prize” or a “free vacation”] and is not to be sold to the end user without prior written consent from IIG Promotions. This offer is not to be used as an employee incentive, by any affiliate of IIG Promotions or the sponsor’s affiliate. The offer is null and void if it is used incorrectly [that’s a huge loophole]. In the event of any mediation, arbitration or litigation relating to this Agreement, the parties (1) agree to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the state courts located in Mohave County, Arizona and the federal courts located in Phoenix, Arizona, and (2) waive any claim of inconvenient forum. [If you don’t like using our bought-and-paid-for justice system, tough luck.]

You may cancel this contract without penalty or obligation within 30 days from the date of purchase or receipt of the vacation offer/certificate, whichever occurs later. You may also cancel this contract if accomodations or facilities are not available purusant to a request for use as provided in the contract. If you decide to cancel, you must notify the seller in writing of your intent to cancel by returning the certificate and sending notice to IIG Promotions, P.O. Box 3479, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86405. IIG Promotions is registered with the State of Florida as a Seller of Travel. Registration No. 37367. [Note: this whole scheme is a devious way of selling you an overpriced trip unter the thinly-veiled guise of an “exciting offer.” Remember: you get what you pay for, and TANSTAAFL.]¹ No person should rely upon reprentations other than thoe included in these terms & conditions. [Read: We know that our salesmen out there are going to lie through their teeth to you, and we take no responsibility for anything they say.] This contract is for the purchase [Note: “purchase,” not “reward.”] of a vacation certificate and puts all assignees on notice of the consumer’s right to cancel under section 559.933, Florida Statutes. California Seller of Travel Registration No. 2093731-50.

To streamline the process, we will not be able to handle any phone calls prior to receiving your registration form. [This is repeated multiple times. They don’t want to talk to you or explain anything. If you make a mistake, it voids your certificate and “offer.”

TL;DR – This is not an award or a complimentary trip. It’s an offer to sell you travel, and a very deviously-designed one at that. You think you’re getting a deal, but in the end it’s almost a guarantee that it will cost you more than if you had booked the travel yourself (assuming you did good research.) The people who operate this company and their attorneys must have been pimps and pedophiles in a previous life.

At any rate, I went to the website² and registered as requested. I was promised an email with further details in return. Stand by for Part III.

The Old Wolf has spoken.

¹There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

² Just for yucks and giggles, the additional Terms and Conditions on the Website (which didn’t display properly, by the way – I had to “view source” on that page to see them) are below:

Acceptance of Terms of Use. This Web site and the services offered on it (the “Service”) are owned and operated by Infinity Travel. The Service is provided to you pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Terms of Use and any operating rules or policies that may be published by Infinity Travel (including the Privacy Policy), as may be amended from time to time (collectively, the “Agreements”). You shall mean you, any invitee of yours, and anyone who may receive a gift or credit from you which is redeemable by using the Service. BY USING THE SERVICE, YOU ARE INDICATING YOUR AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND BY ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CONTAINED IN THE AGREEMENTS. User Responsibilities. By consenting to the Agreements, you agree: To represent only yourself on the Service, and no other persons, living, dead, or imagined; the Service may only be used by natural persons (i.e., individuals) on their own behalf and not by or on behalf of any commercial entity unless explicitly permitted by Infinity Travel; To provide accurate information to Infinity Travel, including, but not limited to information required to register with the Service; To not use the Service to: Reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell, distribute, publish or exploit for any commercial purpose the software, products, or services provided by Infinity Travel or obtained through the Service without obtaining the express, prior written consent of Infinity Travel. This restriction includes any attempt to incorporate any information from the provide for your own access to the Service, including but not limited to obtaining and maintaining all telephone, computer hardware and software, and other equipment and paying all related charges. Privacy. As part of the Service registration process, you will provide certain personal information to Infinity Travel. Your personal information will only be used in accordance with Infinity Travel’s Privacy Policy. Infinity Travel reserves the right to, but is not obligated to, inform you by email of changes or additions to the Service or of any Infinity Travel related products and services. Vendors and Goods and Services Infinity Travel and your organization will not be liable for any loss or damage incurred as a result of any interaction between you and a vendor accessible through the Service. All matters, including but not limited to delivery of goods and services, returns, and warranties are solely and strictly between you and the vendor. You acknowledge that Infinity Travel and your organization do not endorse or warrant the vendors that are accessible through the Service nor the goods and services that they provide. In the event of any mediation, arbitration or litigation relating to this Agreement, the parties (1) agree to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the state courts located in Mohave County, Arizona and the federal courts located in Phoenix, Arizona, and (2) waive any claim of inconvenient forum.

Search Engine Registration – Do Not Fall For This Scam

Posted on by The Old Wolf

I’ve seen an uptick in spam in my inboxes lately, much of it in the same format – there must be a new spammer active in Russia or somewhere similar. However, I’ve also gotten a rash of solicitations to “register my domain” with various search engines, like the following website that I was led to.

scam

 

A video asssociated with this or a similar site claims that if I don’t use their services, it could take months or even years for my domain to be recognized by the major search engines.

Bullshit

This, of course, is nonsense. The crawlers are very efficient, usually picking up new websites in a matter of hours. You don’t need to pay the $99.00 or the $299.00 to scum-sucking scammers like this to get your website  noticed. Of course, there are things you can do to increase your visibility, but paying lots of money for a worthless service is not one of them.

Another scummy scam is run by some necrotic filth-bag named Colin Walker (probably a phony name), who is the registered owner of PremierSubmissions.com. Here’s their putrid email to me:

Scam2

 

This email is not just misleading, it’s full of outright lies; there’s a hot rock in Hell waiting for the asshats who run this kind of fraud.

Click through for some additional information over at Hoax-Slayer.

The Old Wolf has spoken.

Kevin Richardson’s “Miracle Cure,” an Infuriating Scam

Posted on by The Old Wolf

Oxygen Diet Scam

So here’s the email that showed up in my inbox today:

From: Ultimate.Cure.17690762 <your.miracle.cure@highly-wondercure.com>
Subject: Doctor Jailed for CURING Cancer (see why),  Article No. 10754166
To: <redacted>

Today, you have a 95% chance of eventually dying from a disease or condition for which there is already a known cure right at your fingertips.

Well-respected doctors have been attacked, threatened with losing their licenses and even JAILED for sharing the information you are about to discover…
If you or a your loved one is suffering from ANY, and we mean ANY illness, chronic or acute, especially if you’ve been told it is incurable, then this is the most important message you will hear today.
View This SHOCKING Health Alert in your Browser: http://learnmore.highly-wondercure.com
(they don’t want you to know about this)

Article No. 10754166

We see this kind of thing all the time, but this particular scam infuriates me because it doesn’t just say you’re going to lose weight (açaí berries or garcinia cambogia) – it claims to cure any and all diseases, including cancer and HIV. This is cruel and dangerous – weak-minded or uneducated people will fall for this rubbish and spend their valuable money on a worthless system instead of seeking competent medical assistance. This fraud will kill people.

Have a look at some of the garbage this maddening presentation says:

  • Learn how to oxygenate your cells in a way that makes it IMPOSSIBLE for bacteria, cancer, or any virus to live, and create a miraculous recovery and immunity to any disease – much less the diseases that are killing us in record numbers today.
  • Disease and oxygen cannot be in the same space in your body.
  • Oxygen needs to get inside your cells in order to get rid of disease. (Solution: take a deep breath.)
  • Remember the oxygen therapies you will have access to have been PROVEN to CURE the most incurable illnesses to date like the HIV virus and practically all forms of cancer.
  • Documentation and proof of oxygen therapy curing virtually every disease we know of goes back to the late 1800s.
  • When you use these techniques properly, you’ll be shocked as you see physical reactions that prove the virus, bacteria or toxin is leaving the body – even if you’ve tried every therapy out there.
  • Use your “maintenance routine” once your illness has vaporized out of your body.
  • Many people the world over have been helped and yes even “cured” by these simple therapies. (Note the use of scare quotes.)

The lies and false claims continue unabated for around half an hour – cure eczema, psoriasis, regain youthful skin, whatever, you name it. As I mentioned in a previous post, with thanks to the creators of Lucky Luke:

Petroleum

Buzzwords, vague and oblique references to un-cited scientific studies, dropping names like Atkins, I have never seen a more evil conglomeration of mumbo-jumbo in my life.

Bullshit

Search Google for “Kevin Richardson Miracle Cure Scam,” and most of what you get is shill pages and affiliate recommendations. Yes, they pay people to become affiliates using another multi-level fraud:

Affiliate

… and I’m sure the email that started all of this is from one of their suckers. Notice that they promise up to $118.00 and change commission per sale, but they’re selling their product for less than $40.00. I’d like to see the math on that one.

Order

Original price $97.00, but for YOU, because YOU”RE SPECIAL, and because you’re going to ACT NOW, only $37.00.

Order 2

One other thing to be aware of is that if you do order, you’re giving your credit card number to extremely unethical people, and you stand a good chance of having unauthorized and/or recurring charges applied to your card, with little or no hope of getting a refund if you complain.

Attorney General offices are constantly trying to bring down such fraudsters – click through for an Iowa report on one action against a company promoting the miracle benefits of “marine phytoplankton.” The problem with scams like this is that they are like a hydra – cut off one head, and two more spring up in its place.

I write this post largely to combat all of the fraudulent information out there, in the hopes that a few people might encounter it and save their money. Please, be smart. Stay away from all such snake oil.

The Old Wolf has spoken.

Old_Wolf_Curse

Comments are closed for this post.

My First German Scam Email

Posted on by The Old Wolf

The phishermen are casting a wide net.

Here’s my first phishing email in German, with headers:

Return-Path: majorapp@bronco.websitewelcome.com
Received: from imta34.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net (LHLO
imta34.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net) (76.96.28.168) by
resmail-po-420v.sys.comcast.net with LMTP; Tue, 15 Jul 2014 13:17:57 +0000
(UTC)
Received: from bronco.websitewelcome.com ([192.185.82.92])
by imta34.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net with comcast
id SdHw1o0041zWx2w0adHwbd; Tue, 15 Jul 2014 13:17:56 +0000
X-CAA-SPAM: 00000
X-Authority-Analysis: v=2.1 cv=P/wD2Ewu c=1 sm=1 tr=0
a=KztXjUqHRyz9kbsNwKbgzg==:117 a=8FReB3YSAAAA:8 a=C_IRinGWAAAA:8
a=GGcpBh7Jt_oA:10 a=trIDVAjzH2wA:10 a=rKpt8qlD2zIA:10 a=aYsrNlUn7DwA:10
a=IkcTkHD0fZMA:10 a=cc8bsT4k8mMA:10 a=srLljQ7VAAAA:8 a=QpSK2HJ8AAAA:8
a=QAZS5B4ip-KZLdxwkisA:9 a=8PHepCJaBy8WvsX-:21 a=QEXdDO2ut3YA:10
a=_W_S_7VecoQA:10 a=6xz8xM_uv-EA:10
Received: from majorapp by bronco.websitewelcome.com with local (Exim 4.82)
(envelope-from <majorapp@bronco.websitewelcome.com>)
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Wir brauchen Ihre Hilfeaufgrund der steigenden Zahlungsausfalle mittels Lastschrift- und Rechnungszahlung,
ist es in Zukunft leider nicht mehr moglich, eine Zahlung bei Amazon.de mit diesen Zahlungsarten ohne hinterlegte Kreditkarte zu tatigen. Daher ist es notwendig, dass alle Kunden eine Kreditkarte als Zahlungsmittel hinterlegen.

Sollten Sie bereits eine Kreditkarte hinterlegt haben, bitten wir Sie, die bereits hinterlegte Kreditkarte zu verifizieren. Sollten Sie noch keine Kreditkarte besitzen, legen wir Ihnen gerne die Amazon VISA-Kreditkarte ans Herz. Nutzen Sie zur Verifizierung bitte den folgenden Link: Zum Sicherheitsverfahren – http://amazon.acountingdatacheck.com (Notice that this is not a valid Amazon.de URL)

Bitte beachten Sie, dass Sie Ihr Amazon.de-Kundenkonto ohne hinterlegte Kreditkarte in Zukunft nicht mehr nutzen konnen.

Mit freundlichen Grußen,
Ihr Amazon.de Kundenservice

In short, they’re saying that I can no longer use my current credit card and need to add a couple more. The bogus link takes you to a bogus Amazon page
bogus
where you get to divulge all of your credit card and banking data.
Please be careful out there. So many evil and unprincipled drones want your money, and will stop at nothing to get it.
The Old Wolf has spoken.

How Blog Spam is Generated

Posted on by The Old Wolf

I’ve talked about blog spam a lot, because I get a lot of it here. Akismet takes most of the pain away automatically, for which I love them, but the occasional piece of camel ejecta filters through which I must designate as spam manually.

I happened to browse the comments on another blog post today, and I found the following script core, posted by a less-than-careful blog spammer. Something went wrong, and instead of delivering a single randomized comment, the entire database was posted. I thought this was interesting, because I have received/seen pieces of this script in my own blog and many others.

I’m sharing it because I thought you might find it interesting as well.

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{Very well|Perfectly|Well|Exceptionally well} written!|
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{Kudos|Cheers|Many thanks|Thanks}|
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{Cheers|Many thanks|Best wishes|Take care|Thank you}!
{Where|Exactly where} are your contact details though?|
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{Great|Wonderful|Fantastic|Magnificent|Excellent} {task|process|activity|job}!|
Heya {i’m|i am} for {the primary|the first} time here. I {came
across|found} this board and I {in finding|find|to find} It {truly|really} {useful|helpful} & it helped me out
{a lot|much}. {I am hoping|I hope|I’m hoping} {to give|to offer|to provide|to present} {something|one thing} {back|again} and {help|aid} others {like you|such as you} {helped|aided} me.|
{Hello|Hi|Hello there|Hi there|Howdy|Good day|Hey there}!
{I just|I simply} {would like to|want to|wish to} {give you a|offer you a} {huge|big} thumbs up {for the|for your} {great|excellent} {info|information} {you have|you’ve got|you have got} {here|right here} on this post.
{I will be|I’ll be|I am} {coming back to|returning to} {your blog|your site|your website|your web site}
for more soon.|
I {always|all the time|every time} used to {read|study} {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} in news papers but now as
I am a user of {internet|web|net} {so|thus|therefore} from now I am using net for {articles|posts|articles or reviews|content}, thanks to web.|
Your {way|method|means|mode} of {describing|explaining|telling} {everything|all|the whole thing}
in this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} is {really|actually|in fact|truly|genuinely} {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious}, {all|every one} {can|be able
to|be capable of} {easily|without difficulty|effortlessly|simply}
{understand|know|be aware of} it, Thanks a lot.|
{Hi|Hello} there, {I found|I discovered} your {blog|website|web site|site} {by means of|via|by the use of|by way of} Google {at the same time as|whilst|even as|while}
{searching for|looking for} a {similar|comparable|related} {topic|matter|subject},
your {site|web site|website} {got here|came} up, it {looks|appears|seems|seems to
be|appears to be like} {good|great}. {I have|I’ve} bookmarked it in
my google bookmarks.
{Hello|Hi} there, {simply|just} {turned into|became|was|become|changed into} {aware of|alert
to} your {blog|weblog} {thru|through|via} Google, {and found|and located} that {it is|it’s} {really|truly}
informative. {I’m|I am} {gonna|going to} {watch out|be careful} for
brussels. {I will|I’ll} {appreciate|be grateful} {if
you|should you|when you|in the event you|in case you|for
those who|if you happen to} {continue|proceed} this {in future}.
{A lot of|Lots of|Many|Numerous} {other folks|folks|other people|people} {will be|shall be|might be|will probably
be|can be|will likely be} benefited {from your|out of your} writing.
Cheers!|
{I am|I’m} curious to find out what blog {system|platform} {you
have been|you happen to be|you are|you’re} {working with|utilizing|using}?
I’m {experiencing|having} some {minor|small} security {problems|issues} with my latest {site|website|blog}
and {I would|I’d} like to find something more {safe|risk-free|safeguarded|secure}.
Do you have any {solutions|suggestions|recommendations}?|
{I am|I’m} {extremely|really} impressed with your writing skills {and also|as
well as} with the layout on your {blog|weblog}. Is this a paid theme or did you {customize|modify} it yourself?
{Either way|Anyway} keep up the {nice|excellent} quality writing, {it’s|it is} rare to see a {nice|great} blog like this one {these days|nowadays|today}.|
{I am|I’m} {extremely|really} {inspired|impressed} {with your|together with your|along with your} writing {talents|skills|abilities} {and also|as {smartly|well|neatly} as} with the
{layout|format|structure} {for your|on your|in your|to your} {blog|weblog}.
{Is this|Is that this} a paid {subject|topic|subject matter|theme}
or did you {customize|modify} it {yourself|your self}? {Either way|Anyway}
{stay|keep} up the {nice|excellent} {quality|high quality} writing, {it’s|it
is} {rare|uncommon} {to peer|to see|to look} a {nice|great} {blog|weblog} like this one {these days|nowadays|today}..|
{Hi|Hello}, Neat post. {There is|There’s} {a problem|an issue} {with your|together with your|along with your} {site|web site|website} in {internet|web}
explorer, {may|might|could|would} {check|test} this? IE {still|nonetheless}
is the {marketplace|market} {leader|chief} and {a large|a good|a big|a huge} {part of|section of|component to|portion of|component of|element of} {other folks|folks|other
people|people} will {leave out|omit|miss|pass over} your
{great|wonderful|fantastic|magnificent|excellent} writing
{due to|because of} this problem.|
{I’m|I am} not sure where {you are|you’re} getting your
{info|information}, but {good|great} topic.
I needs to spend some time learning {more|much more} or
understanding more. Thanks for {great|wonderful|fantastic|magnificent|excellent} {information|info} I was looking for this {information|info} for my mission.|
{Hi|Hello}, i think that i saw you visited my {blog|weblog|website|web site|site} {so|thus} i came to
“return the favor”.{I am|I’m} {trying to|attempting
to} find things to {improve|enhance} my {website|site|web site}!I suppose its ok to
use {some of|a few of} your ideas!!\

As you can see, the script is designed to leave randomized comments in other people’s blogs, usually with an embedded backlink to improve (supposedly) one’s own search results at Google or Yahoo or Bing or other search engine services.

The mouldy camel droppings that do this need to find a different planet to live on, if you ask me.

The Old Wolf has spoken.

Phishing Spam

Posted on by The Old Wolf

Phishing

Of course, the pox-ridden drones don’t even read their own email, but sadly there are just enough people out there who will fall for their phishing scam and log in to the fraudulent page, happily providing not only their PayPal info but also credit card numbers and pins, their vital information including date of birth and social security number, and then – once they have become the victim of identity theft, will spend years trying to clean up their records.

Oh, and my name’s not “Sean.”

Please be careful out there.

The Old Wolf has spoken.

The things these scammers say…

Posted on by The Old Wolf

Time to yank another scammer’s chain. As usual, my side of the conversation is in blue. Notes point out the kinds of red flags that reveal email messages like this as cruel and dishonest scams, just in case you were wondering.

Got this in my email yesterday – no body text, just this in the subject line.

I have a project. If interested. reply,

What kind of project? I would need more details.
-Wolfington X. Analemma

Good day

This is my personal reference number law/chamber/solicitors/je/rs/WILL/928473012 and My Name is Mrs. Bella Fernandez. please send this to my attorney with the contact information below – he would provide all information to you. Due to my Sickness [1], i have been touched by God [2] and want my WILL to be donated to you rather than allow my relatives to use my Late husband hard earned funds ungodly. My doctor told me that I have limited days to live due to the cancerous problems I am suffering from as I will be going in for an operation later today. What bothers me most is the stroke that I have in addition to the cancer. With this hard reality that has befallen my family and me I have decided to donate this fund to you and want you to use this gift which comes from my Late husbands effort to fund the upkeep of widows, widowers, orphans, destitute, the down- trodden, physically challenged children, barren-women and persons who prove to be genuinely handicapped financially. [4]

I am currently sending you this mail from my sick bed in the hospital, I do not need any telephone communication [3] in this regard due to my deteriorating health and because of the presence of my Late husbands relatives around me. I do not want them to know about this development. With God all things are possible. I believe in Charity and I believe your faith is guarantee for me to trust you. Contact on the Attorney Kennedy Email: ( legalconsultantkennedy@live.co.uk) I sold my Inherited All belongings and deposited the sum of All $ 5.2 million dollars with A Security Company. I am diagnosed of cancer and have a time limit to live on this planet.

As for how I got your email, it was gotten after a proper search via your area zip code with the help of the lord leading me. At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls right now and my Doctor knows i have changed my Will.Lord will Bless you Abundantly as you extend the good works to others and Ensure to use a greater portion of the funds for its purpose in fulfillment of my last wish .. My contact on the Attorney Email – legalconsultantkennedy@live.co.uk

Sincerely,
Mrs. Bella Fernandez.

I have been instructed to contact you regarding the disposition of this fund, reference number law/chamber/solicitors/je/rs/WILL/928473012. Please forward further instructions.
-Wolfington X. Analemma

Dear Beneficiary,

It is my great pleasure to read through your mail, I wish to inform you that this WILLED funds claim is at its peak of legitimacy, please if you wish to claim the WILLED Funds, send below information for funds release. In respect of Mrs. Bella Fernandez’s Will, it might interest you to know that Late Mr.Wilson Fernandez and his wife (Mrs. Bella Fernandez) are very honest and a nice family you could ever think of [4], It’s so sad now, to see Mrs. Bella Fernandez suffering from cancer disease for about 2 years [1], I still have the faith that nothing is too difficult for God to do in her case [2]. As a matter of fact, she has told me that anybody that writes me either she is dead or alive and quote the reference numbers, I should not hesitate to deal with the person in respect of the deposited cash of $5.2 Million US Dollars to carry out her Charity assignment on physically challenged persons and orphanage. Right now, the cash is currently deposited with a save keeping Security Company/Security Firm. [4]

If am sure and pleased with your willingness and sincerity to carry the responsibility in accordance to the donor’s good intention, am going to give you proceeding for funds release to you. Please you have to be highly confidential in this transaction [5], till we finalize this project and you now have the funds in your hand/custody because I would not want anything to jeopardize the funds release to you.

However, Attached to this email is a scan copy of The Affidavit Of WILLED FUNDS, you must print out the Affidavit form, fill in the required information [6] in Black or Blue ink with the a passport photo size as required and return back to us as an ATTACHMENT. You are also required to send any form of ID PROOF/DRIVERS LICENCE [6] that will proceed the funds release documents to you and the requested detail will also enable the British High Court Commision to validate the WILL of Mrs. Bella Fernandez. You need not to worry because this transaction is problem free & legit. [7]

I have just been informed earlier today by the doctor that Mrs. Bella Fernandez is in coma. [1] She had earlier told me about you that if situation gets worse I should contact you in order to process all relevant documents in your favor regarding the status of her account to your name. You are being reminded of the task ahead to use a reasonable part of the funds to build a temple of worship and also help the less privileged in your society [4] and also remember that 30% of the fund should be for your personal use. I want you to include her in your prayers. [2]

MY CONDITION
-The total sum of US $5.2 Million Dollars will be transferred/released to you confirm able in 2 working days.
– All correspondence will be strictly by private email / telephone, for security purposes.
– There should be no other third parties [5] as most problems associated with such payments are caused by their agents/representatives/advisers.

Note: You may as well view the attached pictures of Mrs. Bella Fernandez before she went into coma. [8]

Mrs. Bella Fernandez In Hospital

If you AGREE with my conditions, l will advise you to send the requested information earlier asked for action and to enable the British High Court validate the WILL funds transfer Documents in timely manner.

I await your response.

Best regards,
Barr. Kennedy Andrew Esq.
Tel: +(44)7017043832 [9]

affidavit  License

So I fill out the “affidavit” and include a bogus driver’s license from California that I’ve photoshopped together:

Dear Barrister Kennedy Andrew Esq.:

Attached please find my completed affidavit and a driver’s license photo for your consideration.
Please let me know how the funds will be transferred.

Sincerely,

Wolfington X. Analemma

[If these bottom-feeders had any brains at all, they’d see things on the affidavit that would be immediately recognized as red flags that they were being taken for a ride, but the truth is that they don’t.]

———————–

KENNEDY ANDREW AND VICTOR LAW CHAMBER
179 GREAT PORTLAND STREET,
LONDON, W1A 2AW.
UNITED KINGDOM.
Tel: +(44)7017043832.

20/02/2014

Dear Beneficiary,

This is to inform you that Barr. Kennedy Andrew Esq has received your information (Filled Affidavit of Willed Funds)and its content was well read and noted, it will interest you to know that we are working on the preparation of the necessary WILLED Fund release documents in your NAME, and as mandatory by the UK Acts/Laws, we are to submit to the High Court Commission here in United Kingdom, for final endorsement after preparation, so that the funds can now be transferred to your Bank Account.

Further more, You will have to wait a maximum time of 24 hours for the preparation to be completed, once preparation is completed, you will be notified by ordinary email and detail of submission to the High Court Commission will be emailed to you.

I will immediately write an application to the British High Court to grant a letter of authorization which would enable you contact the bank, I will inform you immediately it is granted. And also this project is meant to be kept strictly confidential[5], that is the wish of my client and i hope you honor it until the whole transfer is completed.

I want you to inform me on how you intend to make use of the funds to affect those around you, and also do you have any investment in mind that you would want to put some of the funds into in order to sustain the projects?.

I await your response.

Best regards,
Barr. Kennedy Andrew Esq.
Tel: +(44)7017043832.

Dear Barr. Kennedy Andrew Esq.,

Thank you for your kind response. Aside from using some of the funds to pay for my wife’s long-term medical expenses*, the bulk of the bequest will be used to support cancer research and the support of families who have children in cancer treatment.
I look forward to further communication with you. Thanks very much.
-Wolfington X. Analemma
*I’ll almost always put in some nonsense about how strapped I am for cash because of a loved one’s long-term medical expenses, just to see if it awakens some sense of human decency in the hearts of these sewer-dwellers. It never does.
——————-
KENNEDY ANDREW AND VICTOR LAW CHAMBER
179 GREAT PORTLAND STREET,
LONDON, W1A 2AW.
UNITED KINGDOM.
Tel: +(44)7017043832.21/02/2014Dear Beneficiary ,The content of your last email has been noted and recorded as per your interest in diferent project and how you intend to carry out Mrs Bella Fernandez Will, the Letter of authorization has finally been approved by the British High Court.You are to contact the bank with this scanned copy in order for the bank to effect any change to the account (Change of Account Holder’s Name). I have sent the bank a copy of this document for them to be aware.You are therefore directed to contact the bank with this attached document in order for the bank to commence the relevant processes to enable you have full access to the account. Below is the contact details of the bank:Fibibank London
24 Creechurch Ln, London,
EC3A 5JX. United Kingdom.
Email: fibi-bnk-desk@outlook.comYou are advised to contact the bank immediately with their email as given above, so that the Bank process can commence with the transafer.You are also to update me on the process for LEGAL ADVISE . Please confirm the receipt of this mail. Please try and attend to emails early.

Note: Please fill in the Blank space in the attached document with your information as required before you sending to the Bank.

To: Fibibank London

Good day. I have been instructed by Barr. Kennedy Andrews Esq. to contact your bank with regards to the attached Letter of Authorization, so that the bequest in THE WILL can be transferred to my account. Please contact me with any further questions.

Most sincerely yours,

Wolfington X. Analemma

————————–

Fibi Bank Plc
24 Creechurch Ln, London,
EC3A 5JX. United Kingdom.

Direct Tel: +44 70 10046144
EMAIL: fibi-bnk-desk@outlook.com

APPLICATION FORM FOR CHANGE OF ACCOUNT OWNERSHIP.

24/02/2014

Dear Esteemed Customer,

FIBI Bank (UK) plc is authorised and regulated by the FSA. I am Mr. Thompson Mog, your assigned account officer to assist in the change and re-activating of account.

The account of which its details and ownership will be stated in your name shall be released to you in the earliest.

Please see attachment and download the application form print out and fill in your data correctly and completely then send back to us.

On receipt of the information, you shall be educated on the process
mastered to facilitate this transaction in the earliest.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Thompson Mog
For FIBI Bank:
CC: GENERAL MANAGER (Fibi Plc)

Fibibank is apparently a legitimate concern, a subsidiary of the First International Bank of Israel. The address given by the scammers is correct, but the phone number is (again) one of those 44-70 redirects which is transferred to some throwaway cell phone in Nigeria. Notice also the email address – legitimate businesses will almost never use a generic email service like hotmail, outlook, or rogers.com – a valid email from Fibi Bank would be something @fibi.co.uk

I send them a form which I have filled out via computer, and get this back:

Fibi Bank Plc
24 Creechurch Ln, London,
EC3A 5JX. United Kingdom.

Direct Tel: +4470 10046144

EMAIL: fibi-bnk-desk@outlook.com

APPLICATION FORM FOR CHANGE OF ACCOUNT OWNERSHIP.

Dear Esteemed Customer,

Thanks for your email to this Bank and on the inquiring about the Funds of Mrs Bella Fernandez, we have all instruction and permit to connect with you on this matter. However, you have failed to complete the necessary document as regards to the Letter of Authorization which is required to be filled in BLACK or BLUE INK PIN and return to us for immediate transfer procedure.

You must fill the Letter of Authorization with a BLACK or BLUE INK (NOT WITH A COMPUTER EDITING) before you send the Document to us, we can only commence further transfer once we have the Letter of Authorization filled and sent by you.

On receipt of the information, you shall be educated on the process
mastered to facilitate this transaction in the earliest.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Thompson Mog
For FIBI Bank:
CC: GENERAL MANAGER (Fibi Plc)

Now, that’s interesting. I’ve never had one of these drones reject a certificate. Perhaps they are using this ploy to lend a certain cachet of legitimacy to their scam. I’ll never know, but I send them the following form anyway:

unnamed

Since sending this form in, I have heard nothing and it’s been over a month. So I send them the following email:

Dear Mr. Thompson Bog,

I have filled out and returned all the documentation you requested and have not heard anything for over a month. I’m wondering what has happened here.
Sincerely,
Wolfington X. Analemma
Never heard back from them. They either figured out that they were being played for fools, or someone else shut their emails down. Well, no loss. I was able to waste some of their time at any rate, which is the whole point – so they can’t be using that time on others who might fall for their foolishness.

The takeaways, as usual: NEVER send money by Western Union or Money Card anywhere, to anyone, unless you are initiating the transaction and you know your recipient. NEVER give out personal or financial information to unknown parties on the internet. ALL SUCH EMAILS are SCAMS.

The Old Wolf has spoken.

[1] The Pity Pitch – feel sorry for me, I’m dying. This fraudulent email is full of repeated references to terminal illness
[2] The God Ploy – Faith, blessings, prayer, Christianity – all are mentioned and used heavily to influence potential victims into parting with their cash.
[3] Unable to talk by telephone – because “Mrs. Bella Fernandez” is actually some sweaty, flea-ridden scumbag working out of an Internet cafe somewhere in Lagos (most likely).
[4] Humanitarian work – this is what I want you to do with the money.
[5] Plea for confidentiality – don’t talk to the authorities or anyone else (because they would be sure to put the kibosh on the deal.)
[6] Request for personal information. Even if their scam fails, the scumbags will have details that can later be used to defraud you or others via identity theft.
[7] Sincerity – Look, nothing up my sleeve…
[8] Some random picture from the Internet – notice that Mrs. “Bella Fernandez” is decidedly Asian
[9] The Global Redirect phone number: All 4470 prefixes are global redirects; this scammer is probably in Nigeria, or Ghana, or somewhere in Africa.