Duh: Fake bank site part of Nigerian scam
Well-known Internet con gets more elaborate
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, “Bill” played out the con with e-mail suitors who offered him a percentage of $45 million for helping move it out of Nigeria. Bill cut communications with the solicitors, as many potential victims do, when they requested some up-front payment. He forwarded all e-mail correspondence to the U.S. Secret Service, and figured that would be the end of it.
But on April 9, Bill — who requested that his identity be withheld — heard from his suitors anew. A writer identifying himself as Larry Peters was eager to meet Bill’s “long overdue contract payment.”
“I crave your indulgence not to treat it as one of those ‘HOAX’ letters you do receive,” Peters wrote.
And the good-will proof?
“The welcome relief is that you are NOT to pay a cent UPFRONT. Please be informed that your outstanding payment will be paid through ONLINE BANKING which will be given to you on your response to this e-mail.”
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And I just got the second of these emails in the last week the other day. The moral of the story: never trust anyone who writes email and puts things in all-caps or “quotes”, I guess.
