Online Fraud: The actual text/emails used by an online scammer.

I thought perhaps I might give our readers a true life example. I have a client for whom I advertise firewood by the cord. This individual replied. Here is the email conversation and the dates of the communication.

The first clue was that he needs the wood right away, and that he was sending a FedEx delivery. While I am not certain, I think that tricksters want you to remove the item immediately so that you won't sell it locally, and also so you won't receive a 2^nd fraudulent offer, using the same text, making you suspicious.

I read somewhere, that HALF of Nigeria's gross domestic product is a direct result of fraud.

Simone: 10/30

is item still available <This is the gold standard question the frauds usually

begin with. I suspected fraud immediately>

George

yes

How many cords do you need? <Might be legitimate though. Let's check!>

Simone: 10/31

Thanks for the prompt response to my mail. I will be buying it from you so
please kindly withdraw the advert Please to be informed that i will pay you
with a certified bank check and once you have the check cashed at your bank
then i will arrange for the pick up at your place.. I will need the
following details to mail the payment as soon as possible.

1.Name to be issue to...
2.Contact Address(City,State,Zip code)
3.Contact telephone number home,cell or work...)

Pls note that FedEx/Ups does not deliver to P.O box and the payment for the
item will be overnight to your address asap.i really need this item and i
will appreciates you if you can help me to save item till the payment
arrives as it will save me some extra cost.. and my shipper will come as
soon as you have the check cashed in hand, So please send me an email only
Regards

Thanks <Definitely a con - Let's see how far it goes!>

George

Simone:

CrackerJax Marketing

157 Main Street, Ste 9

Berlin NH 03570

603.491.4340

Simone: 11/3

Hello,
Thanks for your information, i will need your honest and trust and
your updating to end up this transaction..I will like to know if i can
trust you with my money because am sending you a check and the payment
will be made out immediately i heard from you. I will provide the
tracking # as soon as it as been sent out, "More so" i'm include the
shipment funds in the amount on the check because i don't have time to
come down for a look of the items but as soon as the check as fully
cleared in your bank, you will deduct your own money for the item plus
extra $70 for yourself as running around fee and you will send the
remaining money to the agent that will come for the pick up for me
through money Transfer....Thanks for your mail and understanding once
again, and i will be waiting to read back from you as soon as possible
today..

Thanks <So, He'll send me a bogus check, well over the amount of the

purchase and hope I am DUMB enough to fall for this tired fraud>

George

Absolutely....

I'll take care of it...

Thanks...

-- George

Simone: 11/4 <Notice the lack of upper case ‘I''s. Many foreign languages do not

capitalize it. He used upper case for the beginning of each sentence

though>

Thanks for your reply as soon as i have the tracking for the payment i
sent to you i will let you know with my shipping info that will come
for the pickup the item at your location for me
Thanks

George

Thanks Simone. I am looking forward to working with you.

-- George

Simone: 11/4

Thanks for your reply as soon as i have the tracking number for the
payment i will let you know with my shipper info that will come for

Simone: 11/6

Hello ,
i just want to thank you for the honest and trustworthy you are having
towards this transaction and i want to bring it to your notice that
the payment will be deliver to you Estimated delivery Nov 8, 2012 via
FedEx Ground Currier service and here is the tracking number
provided(428977015000993) so i would want you to follow my instruction
on what to do about the shipping freight and hand ling's and the pick
up arrangement .So once you have
the payment with you now just get it deposited and deduct your actual
amount plus extra $70 for the trust and honest you are having and get
the remaining fund send Via WESTERN UNION International to the shipper
information below for them to come for the pick up in your location
since their freight and hand ling's fee is been included with your
money cos they have some other items to pick up for me in some
locations so here is their information to get the funds send Via
WESTERN UNION TRANSFER :

Name:......... Clarence Peska
Address:........ 707 n highland st
City:........... Topeka
State:......... KS
ZipCode:........... 66614
=============================
And as soon as you get the money sent, the WESTERN UNION would provide
you a receipt for confirmation of sending the money and get back to me
with the details on the WESTERN UNION receipt requested below..

1..Sender's name and address which is you..

2...Total amount you send to the shipper after deducting the Western
Union charges..

3..WESTERN UNION CONTROL Number ....the 10digits control number shown on
the WESTERN UNION receipt.

4..Map quest to your location when the shipper are coming for the pick
up at your place..

Thanks Hope to read from you soon

George 11/7

Simone:

Sorry to be out of touch.. I was an election volunteer...

I am looking forward to receiving your package...

Thanks again...

-- George

Simone: 11/7

Ok as soon as you receiving it let me know so that my shipper will
come for the pickup the item at your location for me
Thanks

11/8 <The check arrives - It looks frighteningly real!>

Simone: 11/8

Here is all u need to do..Out of the total amount of payment u will
received today,Deduct your Firewood - $250 funds
with extra $70 i promised u to compensate you for your effort over
the transaction and ur faithfulness and get the rest amount sent which
will be $1180 sent to Clarence Peska by WESTERN UNION ( the shipper }
which will be responsible for the pick up of the item at your
location. I will employ you to get the $1180 sent via WESTERN UNION
MONEY TRANSFER to the shipper Clarence Peska today so that the pick up
can come up latest this evening.

Here is the information again.
Name:......... Clarence Peska
Address:........ 707 n highland st
City:........... Topeka
State:......... KS
ZipCode:........... 66614
=============================

And as soon as u get the money sent ,get back to me with the below details.

1==sender's name and address
2==Exact amount sent after WESTERN UNION charges deducted
3== 10 digit WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER #
4===Map quest for easy location of the shipper

waiting to ready from you asap

Thanks

Simone: 11/8

<'Simone' sends me a duplicate copy of the instructions - So, good ‘old Clarence is coming tonight huh? From Kansas? I guess wood is in short supply - probably because of the hurricane… yeah.. that's it.. >

Simone: 11/8 (Later in the day)

Hello why did not get back to me since yesterday kindly talk to me so
that my shipper will come for the pickup the item asap pls i will like
to know what is going on there today
Thanks

Simone: 11/9

Well CrackerJax Marketing ..this is just to let you know that there
is no problem about all what you have been hearing all around.my
transaction with you is legit and it is 100% secure so i see no reason
why the payment i sent you at first cleared and you still hold my
money with you cos the company has called me that have you respond
back to me cos they have release the money for you immediately ...But
my response was that you have never respond back ..That was what make
me to get you reported to FBI and what the authority gave me is 24
hours if you did not provide the western union details of sending
detail to Clarence Peska... my shipper You will be caught and charges
for scamming pple money online...So what so ever explanation or Advice
you are listening all around is yours but mine is that this afternoon
i am giving the FBI that you have not sent my money that u were giving
me a week..who knows before that a week reach..you would have ran away
from your address....They can take it up with u any time from now..My
advise to you is that..I want u to locate a western union around you
and get Clarence Peska. money send asap and u get back to me with
immediate effect to provide that to FBI for their confirmation that
you have sent the money.i will be waiting for your mail asap and to
read western union detail from..cos all ur information and all the
email we have exchange from
here is already forwarded to them as well..

Simone: 11/9

why have you not get back to me about the payment i have with you
........i need to know what is going on and how far you have gon about
the payment ..............and if you dont let me know what is going on
about the payment today i will let the FBI know about this ........and
dont forget i have your address with me ...........they will get you
at your location ...........i need to read from you today ...hope to
read from you asap thanks