They've been actually authorized to scam you with spam

It sounds like such a sure thing, doesn't it? After all, the email says that "We obtained an irrevocable payment guarantee on your Payment from the presidency," whatever that means.

In reality, this is a scam. They will attempt to get money out of you. Don't be fooled, don't reply to message like this. Simply delete them.

This message entered the mailstream from a server at telepacific.net, a carrier in Southern California, but the email addresses cited are in in Armenia. However, that doesn't mean anything; the scammers could be anywhere.

From: "Mrs Linda Hank" mrshank@mail.am

Subject: IRREVOCABLE RELEASE OF YOUR PAYMENT.

Reply-To: petermarriott.zu@mail.am

Mrs. Linda Hank

United Nations.

Debt Reconciliation Department.

Zurich Switzerland.

Our Ref: WB/NF/UNO/XX027/2011

Chairman Committee On Foreign

Contract And Inheritance fund Payment Notification

From United Nations.

IRREVOCABLE RELEASE OF YOUR PAYMENT.

We have actually been authorized by the newly appointed UN secretary general, and the governing body of the UNITED NATIONS monetary unit, to investigate the unnecessary delay of your inheritance fund,recommended and approved in your favour. During the course of our investigation, we discovered with dismay that your payment has been unnecessarily Delayed by corrupt officials of the Bank who are Trying to divert your money into their private accounts, to forestall this, security for your funds Was organized in the form of your personal Identification number (PIN) ATM CARD this will enable only you have direct Control over this fund, we will handle this payment ourselves to avoid the hopeless situation created by the Officials of

the bank.

We obtained an irrevocable payment guarantee on your Payment from the presidency. we are happy to inform you that based on our recommendation/instructions your Entire Inheritances fund has been credited in your favor through ATM card. You are therefore advice to send your contact details BELOW TO.

Mr. Peter Marriott.

International Audit unit,

United Nations Liaison Office Zurich Switzerland:

EMAIL: petermarriott.zu@mail.am

To collect your original payment slip with your ATM card.

They will issue you an ATM card that will be withdraw in any ATM machine in any part of the world, So if you like to receive your funds through this means kindly let us know by contacting the card payment center and also send the following information as stated below to them as directed above.

1. PHONES AND FAX NUMBER,

2. ADDRESS WERE YOU WANT THEM TO SEND THE ATM CARD TO (P.O BOX NOT ACCEPTABLE)

3. YOUR AGE AND CURRENT OCCUPATION

4. YOUR FULL NAME.

NOTE: YOU ARE ADVICED TO FURNISH REV. MARRIOTT WITH YOUR CORRECT CONTACT DETAILS.AND ALSO BE INFORMED THAT THE AMOUNT TO BE PAID NOW IS $8.3 MILLION THE REST WILL BE PAID TO YOU IN A LATER DATE.

We expect your urgent response to this email to enable us monitor this payment effectively thereby making contact with Rev. Peter Marriott as directed to avoid further delay.

CONGRATULATIONS.

MRS. LINDA HANK

UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations Organisation wants to give you money - no they don't

Attached to this scam email is an "official letter of directive" on letterhead. The JPG file is designed to look like official correspondence from the United Nations Human Right Abuse and Conflict Resolution Commission. Click the image to read it.

The email itself originated on a hacked Yahoo account, but had a forged return address on RocketMail.

Don't be fooled -- no official government agency is going to contact you via email to give you money. The real way to be "sanitizing our society" would be for these scammers to just go away.

From: Human Right Dept humanrightdept@rocketmail.com

Date: May 11, 2011 2:39:56 AM PDT

To: undisclosed recipients: ;

Subject: OFFICIAL LETTER OF DIRECTIVES

Reply-To: Human Right Dept humanrightdept@rocketmail.com

Attn: Sir/Madam,

See the attached letter for proper comprehension and do contact the authority involved for the payment of your fund valued US$ 2 million as every details has been made available in the attached letter.

Prof: Jack Morgan

Don't use the link to check your mailbox storage limits

This is more of a phishing scheme than a spam scam, but it's worth commenting nonetheless. The headers show that the message was sent via a hacked mailbox belonging to a school administrator in Indianapolis. The link following the "click here" goes to a login form hosted on baroncapital.com, a financial services management company in Scottsdale, Arizona; it looks like someone infiltrated their server to deposit the form.

The form itself asks for your username, password and other personal identifiers -- which, of course, are sent right to the hackers.

Two lessons to be learned here:

First, protect your email account and server. Someone in Indianapolis messed up by letting his/her mailbox be hacked, and so did someone at Baron Capital.

Second, even if the email looks legit, don't click links!

From: "Kathy Rieke" krieke@msdwt.k12.in.us
Date: May 2, 2011 2:12:00 AM PDT
Subject: Your Mailbox Has Exceeded It Storage Limit

Your Mailbox Has Exceeded It Storage Limit As Set By Your Administrator, And You Will Not Be Able To Receive New Mails Until You Re-Validate It. To Re-Validate - > Click Here: (link suppressed)

System Administrator.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This e-mail and any attachments are from a sender at the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are intended for the named recipients and may contain information that is confidential or privileged under Indiana and Federal Law. Any error in addressing or sending this e-mail is not a waiver of confidentiality and does not consent to copying or distribution of this e-mail or attachments. If you receive this e-mail in error, please notify the sender of the error by return e-mail and delete this e-mail and its attachments. If there is a need to speak to the sender, please call [317] 845-9400 and they can provide you with contact information.

That engineer was well paid, if he can give me $15 million

Here's another scam - it looks like it came from a hacked or temporary gmail account, osjksdkdt@gmail.com. However, the headers aren't completely clear in this case. What is clear, of course, is that this is a scam, even if it does refer to the "wrong attitudes" of U.S. banking officials. Don't reply to messages like this. (And yes, there was nothing after the salutation "Dear.")


From: "Mr.Yakowa Sule" osjksdkdt@gmail.com
Date: April 30, 2011 8:20:23 AM PDT
Subject: YOUR FUND HAS BEEN RELEASED
Reply-To: hadam1950@blumail.org

Dear,

By the power of my office as the new President of Federal Republic Nigeria having taken over from the late President Umaru Musah Yar Dua on Thursday being 6th of May 2010, I have to inform you that while going through files of unpaid funds received from CBN by this government following my observations on the wrong attitudes of the US Financial Authorities, World Bank Directors, CBN Governor officials and some bank directors towards your payment.

I came across file on as the true beneficiary to the estate of Late Engr. Ramon Surra on Approved payment of fund of USD15,000,000.00 while going through Inheritance and Contract payment files and have picked interest and verified the cause of delays which are well noted.

I have resolved for the option to pay you, through a fully loaded International Visa ATM card. In this arrangement The Visa card is ready with your outstanding fund value and will be dispatched with all relevant access information to enable you withdraw cash from any ATM machine of your choice and transfer to any account of your choice upon receipt, this option is strictly for this purpose to avoid question or disagreement between you and the financial authorities.

In a case where the beneficiary has received the ATM previously and he/she is unable to effetely withdraw or transfer into your local bank account for usage, you are hereby advised to contact the Financial Adviser to Mr President on Contractors payment.

Name: Henry Adams
Email: hadam1950@blumail.org

Also Payment by wire transfer option is available for those who prefer wire transfer, but our secured and guaranteed mode of payment is by cash card.

Yours faithfully,

Mr.Yakowa Sule
For Mr. President

I'm sorry, darling, but you're a stinking liar

Miss Suzan is so affectionate, but even so, I don't think Suzzy is telling me the truth: that she's a scammer. This email seems to have originated from a Google account named nestpetrol@gmail.com. Don't reply to messages like this, or be fooled by them.

From: Miss Suzan kante suzzy21@ymail.com
Date: April 29, 2011 11:03:53 PM PDT
Subject: Available Investment fund.

Dearest one,

There is a high need for the investment of a substantial amount in a secure and stable economy around the world. The investment will strongly consider any good business area or offer that can guarantee outstanding fiscal yields. My name is Miss. Suzan Kante I am 22 years old from the Federal Republic of Cote D' Ivoire, the only Child and Daughter of Chief Dr. and Mrs. Michael Kante. This investment Fund is my Inheritance!

I am writing to you to allow me officially present and appoint you as my foreign partner as it’s itemized with these funds by my late father to avoid looting or squander, so as to enable the bank transfer this money to you in your country for investment purposes and continuance of my educations.

Please let your reactions reach me via email soonest, if you have the potentials to receive, invest, and manage large sums successfully to profitability.

Best Regards.
Suzan Kante
+233-248-179-767

Wow, free money from the new Prime Minister!

Does the fake formal language make this spam appear to be more honest? Fear not, it's a scam, even thought it reads like a period drama on television. Best I can tell, it originated at a hacked account or open relay at the mfarconstructions.com domain. Don't respond, don't be fooled by messages like this, even if they use words like "hence" and "enquiry."

From: "Barclays Bank PLC®" info@barclays.com
Date: April 30, 2011 9:38:24 AM PDT
Subject: Attention: Honorable Beneficiary / Office of Barclays Bank Plc.
Reply-To: barclaysbank5000@gmail.com

From The Desk of Sir Johnny Sunderland
Foreign Remittance Department
Barclays Bank PLC.
1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP
+44 07024031991
www.barclays.co.uk

Dear Honorable beneficiary

Did you authorize one Mr. Louis Henrik who presented document’s of claim purported to have been signed by you for the release of your Payment Beneficiary/Winnings settlement of Eleven Million Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars ($11.5) only, which have been made and sealed for your transfer? Why this, because the Fund Certificate was credited to you,hence this later development of Mr. Louis Henrik?

Ensure that you do not delay to get back soonest as this calls for urgent and cogent attention to avoid misappropriation, misconception and misconstrue in BARCLAYS BANK beneficiary’s financial transfer record. If you did not give any Power of Attorney or Authorization to the said Mr. Louis Henrik for claim of your fund, please reconfirm immediately to avoid banking irregularities, as your fund is now ready to be transferred (based on the urgent instructions from the Committee of Foreign Contractor Payments Board under the control of the PRIME MINISTER’S office).

In summary to your fund transfer do contact the Barclays Bank for your fund release.

As soon as this information is received, your payment will be made to you in a Certified Bank Draft or Wired to your nominated bank account.

You are advice to contact the Foreign Department immediately. Your contract Ref. No. is BAR/LON/UK/BEN/011 This fund is in line with the Federal Policy for release of all outstanding payment beneficiary due for payment as directed by the NEW PRIME MINISTER. For further explanation, your request and enquiry will be highly welcome and treat with understanding.

Waiting for your Reply.

Sir Johnny Sunderland
Foreign Remittance Department
Email: barclaysbank5000@gmail.com
Tel: +44 07024031991 (available 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Barclays Bank PLC. Registered in England. Registered No: 1026167. Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP