Just when I think e-mail scams can't get any more brazen, or e-mail readers any more careless, I get surprised again. “Job offer at your location” arrived today, combining two amazing scams in one spam. At least they're saving bandwidth by combining scams. No doubt they consider themselves “green” spammers.
Most of the pitch is the old money broker scam, where some wonderful business in Africa, and in this spam they actually say it's Nigeria, needs helping transferring money for online purchases. It seems many people are wary of sending money directly to Nigeria. It boggles the mind that any US consumer would think of sending money to some company they don't know in Nigeria, but you remember that Barnum said suckers arrive 60 times an hour.
The money broker pitch is pretty basic. Someone buys something, but since sending money to Nigeria is questionable, they need a US address, and the Nigerian company wants to use yours. The customer sends you money “either in form of Money gram or Western Union and rarely USPS money order” (yes, that's the direct quote). You pick these up from the nearest Western Union store, deposit the check or money order in your bank, take your $100 per transaction fee, and send the rest on to Nigeria that very day.
Scammers aka con artists send bogus checks or counterfeit money orders, expecting you to put these in your bank, see the balance bump up, and send the money before the bank deducts the money from worthless check from your account. Here they hint that you can get cash from the Western Union office, which would seem to ruin the scam.
That's because the scam is not the check cashing and money brokering but identity fraud. In order to get this wonderful work from home opportunity, you have to send a high resolution “scan of you valid ID card as an American citizen” [sic] along with your resume. They suggest sending a state ID, international passport, or driver's license scan to prove you're a citizen.
If your coworkers are dumb enough to fall for the money brokering scheme, are they also dumb enough to scan and send their driver's license? Could be. Once done, the identity theft machine cranks up and your coworker becomes yet another in a long line of victims.
Those who feel the need to confirm the existence of this wonderful job can do so via Instant Message, not phone. It seems our scammer is hearing impaired and can't use the phone. A neat way to avoid a phone number, and a little extra tug on the heartstrings of the gullible.
Shame on Google mail for letting this into my inbox. Shame on them again for letting it in twice. And shame on you if you don't refresh your coworker's awareness of scam and phishing e-mails while this example is on your mind.
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THIS is brazen
How about this one I got today?"Hello,
Good day and compliments, I know this letter will definitely come to you as a huge surprise, but I implore you to take the time to go through it carefully as the decision you make will go off a long way to determine my future and continued existence.
Please allow me to introduce myself.I am Sgt John Moore, a US Marine Sgt.serving in the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment which Patrols the Anbar province, Iraq.I am desperately in need of assistance and I have
summoned up courage to contact you.
I am presently in Iraq and I found your contact particulars in an address journal. I am seeking your assistance to evacuate the sum of 25million USD (Twenty Five Million USD) to the States or any safe country,as far as I can be assured that it will be safe in your care until I complete my service here.This is no stolen money and there are no dangers involved.
SOURCE OF MONEY:
Some money in various currencies was discovered and concealed in barrels with piles of weapons and ammunition at a location near one of Saddam Hussein's old Presidential Palaces during a rescue operation and it was agreed by all party present that the money be shared amongst us.This might appear as an illegal thing to do but I tell you what? No compensation can make up for the risks we have taken with our lives in this hell hole. The above figure was given to me as my share and to conceal this kind of money became a problem for me, so with the help of a British contact working with the UN here(his office enjoys some immunity)I was able to get the package out to a safe location entirely out of trouble spot.He does not know the real contents of the package as he believes that it belongs to an American who died in an air raid,before giving up trusted me to hand over the package to his close relative.
I have now found a secured way of getting the package out of Iraq for you to pick up. I do not know for how long I will remain here as I have been lucky to have survived 2 suicide bomb attacks by Pure Divine intervention.I will give you 25% of the total sum.
This and other reasons put into consideration have prompted me to reach out for help. If it might be of interest to you then Endeavor to contact me and we would work out the necessary formalities but i pray that you are discreet about this mutually benefiting relationship.My first demand to you is to ask you for your strict confidentiality on this transaction and total trust too, these two things are the most important things needed to conclude this transaction.
Required Details
Full Name:
Full Address:
Phone Number
Age:
Sex:
Get back to me with the above details so that they can make delivery of the consignment to your Doorstep.
Respectfully,
Sgt. John Moore,
United States Marine Corps. IRAQ."
sgt john moore email
I got this email too. How can I report something like this?