Another Nigerian Scam to Watch Out For

Emails from scammers ^ | 06/27/09 | Self

[Defiant]

I posted an ad in Craig's List a few days ago, selling a laptop computer. I received numberous suspicious responses asking for my Paypal account number, such as the one below:

I'm interesting in purchasing this item for my inlaw, what is the present condition and get back to me if its available for sale.i will make a good offer.

I had already received several of these fractured-English inquiries, and was suspicious right off the bat. Here's my reply:

As I am interesting in selling it to you. I expecting hopefully good offer.

Here is the reply I got:

to XXXXX@gmail.com
date Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 9:21 PM
subject RE: Dell xxxxxxxxx
mailed-by hotmail.com

I am interested in buying your item and sending to my Grandson that recently traveled to abroad (Nigeria) for a research program.Also,I will pay you $850 for the payment including shipping of this item. This item is to be shipped directly from you to Grandson address at abroad via Usps Express Mail Service (EMS) .My mode of payment is PayPal.Kindly close the auction and get back to me with your payment details so i can make the payment asap.Thanks

The price was several hundred dollars more than I had listed the item for. Now, it was obvious that it was a scammer, and normally, I would just not reply, but the spate of paypal inquiries had me curious. I don't know what a scammer can do with my Paypal email address, but I wanted to see where it led. Here is my reply to "Donna":

I am very excited for your most generous offer and look forward to this consummation.

My paypal address is knottasucka@scamster.com.

I will ships immediately when payment is made. Consider the auction closed.

Your most generosity is appreciated.

Keven Notta

Now it gets interesting. I got two emails, one from "Donna" claiming she had made a payment, and another that showed the purpose of the desire to have my Paypal address. Apparently, my email address had not discouraged them from continuing the scam. Here's the first one:

from donna daniel
to XXXXXX@gmail.com
date Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 4:19 AM
subject PAYMENT MADE
mailed-by hotmail.com

Have made the payment.Kindly ship to the address below,confirmation of my payment by paypal. Kindly ship to the address below, through Global Express Mail Service(EMS) which the tracking number starting from EB,EQ,EH.............

SUNDAY OKOJIE
NO 50 Agbowo Shopping Complex,U.i
IBADAN
OYO STATE
NIGERIAN
23402
+2340863773987

Thanks so much its good doing business with you.please mail me back as soon as paypal confirms my payment.

Best Regards

Then, in the second email, the scam is revealed:

https://www.paypal.com/us
Dear Keven Notta,

This email confirms that you,Keven Notta,have been paid $850.00 USD by Donna Daniel (donna.daniel00@hotmail.com) using PayPal.

Payment Details

Purchased From:XXXXXX@gmail.com
Transaction ID: 9YL267465J152263B

Item # Item Title Quantity Price Subtotal *********
Dell QXXXXXXXXX 1 $750.00 USD $750.00 USD

Shipping & Handling via USPS Express Mail Service (EMS)to 234XX (includes any seller handling fees) $100.00 USD
Shipping Insurance (optional): --
Total: $850.00 USD

Shipping Information

Shipping Info:
Sunday Okojie
No.50 Agbowo Shopping Complex,U.I
Ibadan, Oyo state 23402,
Nigeria

Address Status: Confirmed
This PayPal® payment has been deducted from the buyer's account and has been " APPROVED" but will not be credited into your account until the Shipment/Reference Tracking number is sent to us for shipment verification.The number is to be sent to Trackingteamverify@mail2consultant.com PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PAYMENT WILL NOT APPEAR IN THE "PENDING" TAB IN YOUR ACCOUNT UNTIL YOU SEND THE SHIPPING REFERENCE NUMBER TO US. This is due to new policies at PayPal to protect both the buyer and the seller in the face of the growing number of fraudulent activities perpetrated via the internet. Your payment is intact. You are encouraged to complete this transaction.

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The email was full of links that, if you are unwise enough to click them, would undoubtedly take you to sites where you can give these Nigerian or Russian scammers all of your personal banking and Paypal information. A fairly slick implementation of the existing spoofing scams.

My final email to the scammer is below:

So nice it has been to doing business with you, two. Item is in the post, and you will receive it diminutively.

If you wish pay me an additional $500, I will happily pay for your bail (up to $300) when American FBI peoples come to your door to make with arrest. Please let me know if ok so.

Keven Notta

knottasucka@scamster.com.

I guess I had way too much time on my hands today.

Please spread the word to any friends and family who might be a little too trusting.

[Defiant]

I sent this to Paypal, and I hope they are able to work on ensuring the security of their system. Spoofing is one thing, but these people are combining spoofing, phishing and the use of social techniques to get personal information from people. Getting conned by Africans is how we got in the mess we are in.

[nuconvert]

Lol. I like your final email

[South40]

Many scams come from Africa

[samtheman]

Excellent work, oh Defiant one.

I’m always tempted to send a reply to those emails telling me they have 50 quadrillion dollars in a “deceased account” and if I just send them my bank account number they will make the transfer and I get to keep 30%.

I’ve always wanted to send back an email saying:

“My account is currently frozen due to bank overdraft charges. If you would just send me cash in an envelope to this address, I will then have a working account wherein we can both share your 50 quadrillion dollars (70% to you). All I need is $100 from you and the deal will go forward.”

But I never take the time to do it.

You took the time. Kudos to you.

[ThermoNuclearWarrior]

I can't feel sorry for the people who have lost all their money through these scams. What's sad is that there are people who are ignorant and greedy enough to fall for them.

[SkyDancer]

LOL - I wonder how it would have sounded if BORAT wrote it ... it’s still funny!

[devane617]

You made me smile, Nottasucka.

[Defiant]

I think next time I am asked by a scammer for my paypal address, I’ll tell them it’s jehoover@fbi.gov. I’ll bet that won’t phase them.

[PackerBoy]

You should pick up the paperback THE GOOD, THE SPAM AND THE UGLY. Written by a retired attorney who had too much time on HIS hands, too, and who had a lot of fun with these rank amateur scammers.

[Defiant]

I really give these people way too much credit. I didn’t think I’d get a reply after giving them that email address. Some drone in a hut (named George maybe?) didn’t pick up on that.

[Defiant]

I’ll look for it, sounds like fun summer reading.

[dr_who]

It’s the Kenyan scam that’s the worst.

[lilylangtree]

Enjoyed your experience. I’m so glad you weren’t taken in by these subhumans. Thanks for sharing.

[Hot Tabasco]

Lately I’ve been gettin all kinds of scams like this and I can’t figure out why. However, I’ve been saving their email addresses and using them to log in to all kinds of weird sites and forwarding such sites on to most of the others I have stored........

[MamaB]

I have been receiving emails from “military people” saying they have Saddam’s money and want to share it. Has anyone else received any like this? When I see it is from a military person, I just delete it.

[Defiant]

That’s a good idea.

[Defiant]

Borat wouldn’t have written it, because there is no way to make fun of white people, Christians or conservatives.

[devane617]

Seems like I remember running across a website/blog a few months, or a year, ago that was formed by a group that specialized in scamming the scammer. These guys played the scammers game and beat them on many occasions. They posted the correspondence they exchanged, etc..

[frankenMonkey]

Unfortunately, CraigsList has become unusable in large part due to scammers just phishing for email addresses. Once you respond, your email gets loaded with junk email.

[DaiHuy]

Nigerian scam be damned, it is the Kenyan scam that is killing me.