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

A US soldier in Iraq? I don't think so

The following spam scam came as a file attachment. Don't be fooled or reply to scams like this. Just because they link to a BBC news story doesn't mean that the scammer is legit. Anyone can link to a news story.

The message itself came from a hacked email account -- I'm not going to embarrass the owner of that account. The body of the message was

Hello
Please open your attachment for the full details of my story. I am an America soldier who base in Iraq,
Best Regards
Cpt.Blake Cole

And here was the attachment, in a Microsoft Word file called Hello.doc

Hello,


My name is Cpt. Blake Cole. I am an American soldier (USF-I) Serving in the military with the 1st Armored Division in Iraq. As you know we are being attacked everyday by insurgents, car/suicide bombers in Iraq.



I am contacting you on behalf of my colleagues here in Baghdad, we are honestly seeking for your hands in this partnership to move this allocation valued at {10.4 million USD} into your custody for safekeeping.



In 2009 we managed to secure Ten Million US Dollars, these were part of the stash money found in Baghdad to have belonged to Saddam Hussein's family and associates. This money has been kept somewhere outside Baghdad for some time now but with the proposed troops withdrawal by our President to end the war and make lasting peace with Iraq militant and terrorist, I am so afraid that this money may be discovered. My contact to you is to make sure that the money is move to a safe place and in safe hands pending the completion of my assignment here.



Visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm


We am ready to compensate you generously well with 30% of the money because there are no strings attached as Iraq is a war zone. We plan on using diplomatic immunity-cover to ship this money to you as military cargo. I am contacting you with confidence as all arrangements for the successful delivery has been put in place. All I need from you is to receive the cargo at your location from the delegated diplomat.



I am expecting your positive reply so as to extend more confidential details to you. I hope I can trust you.



Yours sincerely, 

Cpt. Blake Cole

US Military Ba'qubah.

Email: cpt.blakecole2@usa.com
Email: clcptblakecoleus@aol.com

New York, New York, it is so nice they scammed it twice

This is your basic scam. What more is there to say? According to headers, the email originated at email originated at the South African server cp3.snowballeffect.net. Of course, there's no way of knowing how the scammer got into that server.

The phone number listed for Mr. Saltzman, (347) 355 355l -- assuming you change the L into a 1 -- belongs to a cell phone on a Brooklyn, N.Y., exchange.

Don't reply, don't be fooled by messages like this.

From: THE NEWYORK CLEARING HOUSE ms.mirandajacobs@gmail.com
Date: February 24, 2011 10:26:06 AM PST
Subject: KINDLY CONFIRM IF THIS YOUR ACCOUNT DETAILS FOR TRANSFER OF $12.5MILLION.
Reply-To: ms.mirandajacobs@gmail.com

Attention: Beneficiary.

The New York Clearing House is pleased to comment on the final payment release of your unblocked funds, through the Clearing House Interbank Payments System (CHIPS). Basically, this message is notifying you that your blocked funds, $12.5million, that has been in the coffers of the U.S Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) since April 2008, is finally unblocked and authorized for immediate wire transfer into your receiving bank account by the Clearing House in New York.

We at the Clearing House, received a certified payment instrument from OFAC in your favor containing your personal details and a new receiving account in the name and favor of your financial representative and partner, Mr. Richard Salazar. In lieu of the issued payment mandate from the OFAC, the Clearing House conveyed a payment message through CHIPS, which will effect the transfer of the funds via S.W.I.F.T MT2O2 COV into the account of Mr. Salazar in the nearest 72-hours after a confirmation to proceed from you as the original beneficiary. Please kindly confirm is the account information are correct to receive the funds,

Bank Name: U.S Bank Trust, N.A, MN;
Swift Code: USBKUS4TCOR;
Routing #: 121122676;
Account Number: 153459581457;
Account Beneficiary Name: Richard B. Salazar;
Beneficiary Address: 5021 Laguna Blvd, Elk Grove, CA 95758.

The funds will be available in the U.S. Bank Trust, N.A account as above in the next 72-hours as soon as we get a permission to proceed from you, and a copy of the MT202 COV Payment Slip will be sent by fax to the receiving beneficiary bank, U.S. Bank Trust, N.A; Mr. Salazar, and also a copy of the wire slip to you for funds clearance at your receiving bank.

We hope this letter is understood, if not, kindly go over the content twice or more before responding, And If you have any questions as regards this matter, kindly reply me via (ms.mirandajacobs@gmail.com) or call the Clearing House as we would be pleased to discuss any of our comments in more detail. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Paul Saltzman, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at (347) 355 355l.

Thanks for your Co-Operation.

Sincerely,

Miss. Miranda Jacobs
SWIFT Transfer Manager
The Clearing House Payments Company L.L.C.
450 West 33rd Street
New York, NY 10001
=================================================
© 2011 The Clearing House Association L.L.C. All Rights Reserved.

It's a terrible situation, so ignore it

This message was sent by a clever scammer who was actually using a gmail.com account, jstevens1850@gmail.com, to get this message out. However, the scam looks like it came from an AOL account.

I guess I don't feel back for this mysterious Jack, since he's actually a scammer who's going to ask you to wire him money. Don't be fooled, don't reply, to messages like this. If you receive a message like this from someone that you think you know, try contacting him/her via phone using a known number, or verify that he/she is actually out of the country. Often these come from hijacked email accounts -- so if you reply via email, the scammer will see your message.


From: Jack Stevens jstev61149@aol.com
Date: March 4, 2011 3:31:21 AM PST
Subject: Terrible Situation----Help!!!‏

Hello

I'm sorry for this odd request because it might get to you too urgent but it's because of the situation of things right now,I'm stuck in Cardiff wales right now,I came down here on vacation ,I was robbed, the situation seems worse as bags,cash ,credit cards and cell phone were stolen at GUN POINT, It's such a crazy experience for me, I need help flying back home, the authorities are not being 100% supportive but the good thing is that I still have my passport but don't have enough money to get my flight ticket back home, please I need you to loan me some money, I will reimburse you right as soon as I'm back home. I promise.

--
Jack Stevens

Ooh! Free laser hair removal and mini facelift treatments!

Don't reply, don't be fooled, by this pyramid scheme. In other words, don't forward this email to 10 of your friends.

What's clever is that they know that an email from you to your friends will bypass many spam filters. Not only that, if you follow their directions, they'll harvest your friends' addresses to use for more spam/scam mailings.

From: "Dorothy" dorothy@gautengpromo.info
To: dsl5@gautengpromo.info
Subject: FW: FREE R990 makeover vouchers for laser hair removal and mini facelift treatments...B4
Reply-To: dsl5@gautengpromo.info

If you send this mail onto ten people, or call one of our clinics, we will give you a laser hair removal treatment worth R500 and R490 towards a mini non surgical face lift.

That's right. almost a complete make over, just for sending this mail onto 10 people.

The Aesthetics Express branches in Gauteng are offering new clients a laser hair removal treatment worth R500.00 and a R490 discount on a mini non surgical facelift!

Sandton 0117830666
Eastgate 0116155013
Menlyn 0123461189

Copy us in on this mail as well at response3@responsemarketing.co.za so that we can verify that you have sent it to 10 people

Or visit our South African site at aestheticsexpress

Terms and conditions
New clients only

Mr. Levenstein doesn't exist, and he's not planning to give you half of a gold mine

I'm starting to see scams come in via fax, and this message is one of them. It claims to be from a Mr. Jeff Levenstein, who is "the chief operational officer with one of the South Africans investment and private based bank."

The scammer claims that the bank had a customer, Mr. Fred Buther, who owned a gold mine -- but is now deceased. If you claim to be Mr. Buther's kin, Mr. Levenstein will split the money with you 50/50. Click the image to see the entire document.

Of course, it's a scam - don't reply, don't be fooled.

To help search engines find this scam, Mr. Levenstein claims that his email is jeff@regalsa@co.za, phone +27719666714, fax +27115075168.

It's a horrible spam from a hacked mailbox

This message came in today from a cousin's email address — and freaked out some members of my extended family. However, it's a total scam. Someone hacked in my cousin's email address (either by guessing her password or by phishing for it) and sent out these messages. One family member actually went to the bank to get cash to send to London!

Needless to say, my cousin is safe at home — and was initially somewhat confused because she couldn't get into her email. One of the first things the scammers did was change her password. And then the phone started ringing….

If you see messages like this, don't respond, don't be fooled. Do not try to get back to the family member by email, but use other means. Remember, the scammer has access to the email account, and can answer. Being bcc'd on a message (which I was) is one sign that it's not legit. (But if you're not bcc'd, that's not proof that the message is legitimate.)

Here's an account of someone who received a very similar message earlier this year — it's possibly from the same scammers, as it's nearly word-for-word identical. Don't be fooled!

Subj: Horrible Trip

Hello,

This message may be coming to you as a surprise but I need your help.Few days back my family and I made an unannounced vacation trip to London,UK.Everything was going fine until last night when we were mugged on our way back to the hotel.They Stole all our cash,credit cards and cellphone but thank God we still have our lives and passport.Another shocking thing is that the hotel manager has been unhelpful to us for reasons i don't know. I'm writing you from a local library cybercafe..I've reported to the police and after writing down some statements that's the last i had from them.i contacted the consulate and all i keep hearing is they will get back to me. Our return flight leaves soon...I need you to help me out with a loan to settle our bills here so we can get back home . I'll refund the money as soon as we get back. All i need is $1,850 USD..Let me know if you can get me the money then I will let you know how to get it to me.

Thanks