A strange e-mail

Nikolas · Wed 14/12/2005 20:56:59

I got this today. If anyone is interested you can go ahead and claim the money...

Code: ags

MR. ZHANZHI HONG
HANG SENG BANK LTD.
DES VOEUX RD. BRANCH,
CENTRAL HONG 
KONG,
HONK KONG.
 
Dear Sir/Ma,
Let me start by introducing myself. I 
am Mr. Zhanzhi Hong credit officer of the Hang Seng Bank Ltd.ΒÃ,Â  I have 
an urgent and very confidential business proposition for you.
 
I 
honestly apologize and hope I do not cause you much embarrassment by 
contacting you through this means for a transaction of this magnitude, 
but this is due to confidentiality and prompt access reposed on this 
medium, sorry my English is not very good. Furthermore, due to this 
issue on my hands now, it became necessary for me to seek your 
assistance, and it is imperative for me to know your opinion.
 
On 
April 6 ,1999, an American Oil consultant/contractor with the Chinese 
Petroleum and Chemical corporation Mr. Richard Nault made a numbered 
time(Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at 
US$30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million Dollars only) in my branch. Upon 
maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but 
got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we 
discovered from his contract employers, the Hong Kong Petroleum and 
Chemical Corporation that Mr. Richard Nault died from an automobile 
accident.
 
On further investigation, I found out that he died without 
making a WILL and all attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless.
 
I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Mr. 
Richard Nault did not declare any kin or relations in all his official 
documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of 
US$30,000,000.00 is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is being 
rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will 
ever come forward to claim it. According to Laws of Hong Kong, at the 
expiration of 5(five) years, the money will revert to the ownership of 
the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to claim the fund.
 
Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to 
stand in as the next of kin to Mr. Richard Nault so that the fruits of 
this old man's labor will not get into the hands of some corrupt 
government officials.
 
This is simple, I will like you to provide 
immediately your full names and address so that the attorney will 
prepare the necessary documents and affidavits that will put you in 
place as the next of kin.
 
We shall employ the services of an attorney 
for drafting and notarization of the WILL and to obtain the necessary 
documents and letter of probate/administration in your favor for the 
transfer. The money will be paid into your account for us to share in 
the ratio of 50% for me and 48% for you and 2% for Expenses Incurred in 
the course of the transaction.
 
There is no risk at all as all the 
paperwork for this transaction will be done by the attorney and with my 
position as the credit officer guarantees the successful execution of 
this transaction.
 
Upon your response, I shall then provide you with 
more details and relevant documents that will help you understand the 
transaction.
 
Please send me your confidential telephone and fax 
numbers for easy communication.
 
You should observe utmost 
confidentiality, and rest assured that this transaction would be most 
profitable for both of us because I shall require your assistance to 
invest my share in your country.
 
Awaiting your urgent reply.
Thanks 
and regards.
Mr. Zhanzhi Hong
FOR SECURITIES PLEASE REPLY ME VIA MY 
MOST CONFIDENTIAL EMAIL ADDRESS: zhanzhihong09cj@yahoo.com

What do you think? Of course it is a con! But how did they found my address?

Gregjazz · Wed 14/12/2005 20:59:52

Of course it's a con. It's just spam, who knows how these people get your email? They just mass-email it...

Reminds me:

http://www.zefrank.com/request/

Scummbuddy · Wed 14/12/2005 21:00:49

They have spider-bots that scour the internet looking for code that resembles "something@somethingelse.com

ManicMatt · Wed 14/12/2005 21:12:53

Actually, one of those kind of emails informed me of how they obtained my email address:

"I got your email from girl on computer"

Ah, that explains it.

Andail · Wed 14/12/2005 21:24:18

Nikolas, I think most people get those letters on daily basis. If you have been spared so far, you have just been lucky

lo_res_man · Wed 14/12/2005 21:31:36

what burns me are the cons that say they are paypal or ebay or some bank. telling me to to reenter my account info and (if a bank) pin number. I am not that stupid, but it still cheeses me off. what has me scared is that the bank messages often APPEAR to be from banks reletivly near by. i never belive it for one simple reson, i don't have a bank account but STILL!

ManicMatt · Wed 14/12/2005 21:36:22

Hah yeah like this right:

Dear SIR,

Due to a SECURITY ISSUE your account has been temporarly frozen. If you wish to re-activate it please click on the following link and enter your details, because we don't have them. This is totally secure and safe. See look, the banks logo is at the top of the email, see? Safe.

Kind regards,

The evil wankers of scotland. I mean "bankers", sorry. typo.

InCreator · Wed 14/12/2005 21:42:13

Heh, last year a similar bank trick shook whole country here.

E-mail was sent to people which linked to a site identical to bank's one where they had to enter their pincodes and codes from 40-numbers security card thingy. "Due upgraded security policies" or something like that. This was very believeable too, because this bank actually demands frequent security upgrading, like changing password in every month or two, etc.

Despite very advanced and strong IT-sector here, many fell for that, since people are too used to e-banking while internet crimes are still practically not existing. In just 24 hours, huge amount of money was stolen...

The traces led to a server somewhere in Siberia

Wretched · Wed 14/12/2005 21:56:04

Do a google search for your email, spider bots crawl through the web collecting emails. Easy.

Barbarian · Wed 14/12/2005 21:57:12

I get these kind of scam crap emails on a regular basis.
Don't ever fall for it... they'll take you for every dollar they can get from you, and in some cases, they end up killing people. Ã,Â Dangerous stuff.
For a FAQ on this kind of "well known" scam, check out the following page:
http://www.419eater.com/html/419faq.htm

For a good laugh, read some of the Letters there and check out the other areas of that site.

IM NOT TEH SPAM · Wed 14/12/2005 22:02:15

I think i'm going to take his email adress... and steal the money for myself! Heh, sucker...

Mr Jake · Wed 14/12/2005 22:46:32

They have spam on the internet now?

IM NOT TEH SPAM · Wed 14/12/2005 22:48:12

Quote from: Hotspot on Wed 14/12/2005 22:46:32
They have spam on the internet now?

ever since they had porn on the internet...

Scummbuddy · Wed 14/12/2005 23:27:41

They have porn on the internet now?

Nikolas · Wed 14/12/2005 23:33:18

What? Porn? Where?

ManicMatt · Wed 14/12/2005 23:40:36

Excuse me, but... what is 'porn'? Is it somewhere to sell things hm?

IM NOT TEH SPAM · Wed 14/12/2005 23:41:32

I'll tell you when you're old enough, son.

EDIT: 400th post!

Andail · Wed 14/12/2005 23:44:15

ok, ok, enough one-lined silliness now.

Add something serious or just let it die, thank you.

Phemar · Thu 15/12/2005 07:52:14

I think your email sounds like a 419 scam, Nikolas: http://www.419eater.com/

PsychicHeart · Thu 15/12/2005 07:57:40

Hmmm... this sounds like a spam... or possibly a spamola.