Oregon Woman Loses $400,000 to Nigerian E-Mail Scam

[Ichingcarpenter]

An Oregon woman who is out $400,000 after falling for a well-known Internet scam says she wasn't a sucker or an easy mark.

Janella Spears of Sweet Home says she simply became curious when she received an e-mail promising her $20.5 million if she would only help out a long-lost relative identified as J.B. Spears with a little money up front.

Spears told KATU-TV about the scammers' ability to identify her relative by name was persuasive.

"That's what got me to believe it," She said. "So, why wouldn't you send over $100?"

Her family and bank officials told her it was all a scam, she said, and begged her to stop, but she persisted because she became obsessed with getting paid.

The scheme is often called the "Nigerian scam" and it's familiar to many people with e-mail accounts. It still exists and it still works.

Spears first sent $100 through an untraceable wire service as directed by the scammers. Then, more multimillion dollar promises followed so long as she sent more money.

The scammers sent Spears official-looking documents and certificates from the Bank of Nigeria and the United Nations. President Bush and FBI Director Robert Mueller were also involved, the e-mails said, and needed her help.

They sent official-looking documents and certificates from the Bank of Nigeria and even from the United Nations, saying her payment was "guaranteed."

But it wasn't and now Spears is paying the price for her costly lesson.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,453125,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/cybersecurity

[sandnsea]

But I bet she'd balk at paying a fair price

for getting her car or computer fixed. Why will people spend so much on obvious scams and razzle dazzle, but try to cheat people who are giving them real value for their money.

[Idealism]

1. She voted for Bush. Twice.

I'm positive of this

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. Its been a long standing joke for ages on the Nigerian scam

I'm surprised she fell for it and admitted it to the news. I'm sure others
have too but never wanted to admit it.

Sort of like voting for Bush.

[skypilot]

2. Idiot.

She didn't just get taken ONCE, she apparently got taken multiple times over the course of TWO YEARS. And all this time her family and her bank were telling her to stop. Unfuckingbelievable.

[hobbit709]

3. The greed of the people who get scammed is amazing

The average take that I saw figures on is over $130K. So these people obviously have a fair amount of money to start with. not withstanding the fact that the deal as given is blatant money laundering.
As they say "A fool and his money are soon parted"-of course that begs the question of how did the fool get money in the first place.

[aquart]

11. Understand that money for nothing is not uncommon to these people.

Think of all the money that was heaped on the Bush sons for doing nothing but lending their names to letterheads and board reports. This is a constant at that income level.

[arcadian]

4. OUR DEAREST APOLOGIES MRS. SPEARS

WE HAVE DETECTED A CLERICAL ERROR IN RELATION TO YOUR ACCOUNT. PLEASE RESEND THE $400,000 SO THE ORIGINAL $400,000 CAN BE LET GO AND OUR BANK MANAGER WILL SEND TO YOU $1,000,000. THE EXTRA $200,000 IS FOR YOUR TROUBLE AND YOU KEEP. AGAIN, MY REGRETS.

AZOLUA MBOBWE
SENIOR BANK MANGER
BANK OF NIGERIA
LAGOS, NIGERIA

[DS1]

8. PLEASED TO NOT LISTEN TO MBOBWE OF BANK OF NIGERIA

I AM JANICE ZAMBIQUE FROM CENTRAL NIGERIA BANK. MBOBWE IS A NOWN FRAUD. PLEASE SEND IN GOOD FAITH HIGHEST TO YOUR CONVENIENCE 200,000 FOR RESTOCKING MONIES FEE AND WE WILL RETURN YOUR 400,000 PLUS 250,000 FOR TROUBLES AS SIGN OF WANT TO DO BUSINESS.

BEST REGARDS,
JANICE ZAMIBQUE
CENTRAL NIGERIA BANK VICE PRESIDENT

[Ichingcarpenter]

15. PLEASED NOT LISTEN TO JANICE ZAMIBQUE OF CENTRAL NIGERIA BANK

I need to ask you to support an urgent and important business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had a crisis that has caused the need for a large transfer of funds of 700 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.
I am working with renowned Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren [e-mail] so that we transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive you’re information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.
Wonderful salutations to you cherish friend from Republic of America.


Yours Faithfully,

Minister of Treasury Paulson

[arcadian]

18. Deja vu

Feels like when a rock group goes on tour and you think the show they put on in your town is the most rockinest ever, man that show really spoke to your soul. Then you go and see them in a neighboring town a few months later and realize that they are wearing the exact same clothes and doing the same sets. The lead singer even makes same regional remark at that show that he made at the show in your home town. Then you bow your head because you feel like you pulled the curtain back just a little too far.

[Bluebear]

19. OPEN IMMEDIATE

WE SEND DEEPEST WARNING OF BANK IMPOSTERS ON THE INTERNET SUCH AS JANICE ZAMBIQUE. THERE IS NO CENTRAL NIGERIA BANK AND I AM RELYING ON YOU AS AN IMPARTIAL PARTY TO HELP RIGHT THIS WRONG, PLEASE REMIT THE SUM OF 400,000 AS A SHOW OF YOUR GOOD FAITH AND ON OUR PART WE WILL REWARD THIS WITH YOUR 400,000 AND THE EQUAL AMOUNT OF 400,000 IN ADDITION AS A REWARD. THANKING YOU VERY MANY IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TRUST AND COOPERATIONS,

KINDEST WISHES,

AMALIE STUART-MBABALU
TANZANIA NATIONAL BANK TREASURER

[Turborama]

34. LMAO! I'm giving this the 1st rec because you guys just made me cry with laughter!

:kick::rofl:

[GreenFiles]

10. lol, ass :)

[aquart]

6. People who don't think they're easy marks are such easy marks.

You would be aghast at the number of CEOs and CFOs who fall for scams. I know I was.

[jaksavage]

7. She needed Dr Phil nt

[Lerkfish]

9. her husband probably worked himself into an early grave, secure in knowing she'd be

taken care of by the money he left behind.

*wags head sadly*

[LisaL]

26. Hah? Her husband ain't dead.

[Ecumenist]

12. How goofy do you have to be to fall for this to the extent ?

I cannot believe that someone would fall for this EVEN AFTER family and friends tried to tel her the truth about these scammers.

[noiretextatique]

13. family, friends...even people at her bank

how obtuse can you be?

[buff2]

14. I just got this in my E-Mail

Anti-terrorist and monetary crimes division
FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Federal bureau of investigation
J. Edgar Hoover building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
Ref: FBI/DC/11/08
Attention fund beneficiary,
This is an official advice from the FBI foreign remittance/telegraphic department. It has come to our notice that a bank from Nigeria district has released 10,000,000.00 U.S dollars into Bank of America in your name as the beneficiary, by Inheritance means. The C.B.N bank Nigeria knowing fully well that they do not have enough facilities to effect this payment from the united kingdom to your account, used what we know as a secret diplomatic transit payment S.T.D.P to pay this fund through wire transfer, they used this means to complete the payment.
They are still, waiting for confirmation from you on the already transferred funds, which was made in direct transfer so that they can do final crediting to your account. Secret diplomatic payments are not made unless the funds are related to terrorist activities why must your payment be made in secret transfer, if your transaction is legitimate, if you are not a terrorist, then why did you not receive the money directly into your account, this is a pure coded, means of payment .Records, which we have had with, this method of payment in the past has always been related to terrorist acts, we do not want you to get into trouble as soon as these funds reflect in your account, so it is our duty as a world wide commission to correct this little problem before this fund will be credited into your personal account.
Due to the increased difficulty and unnecessary scrutiny by the UK authorities when funds come from outside of Europe, and the Middle East, the F.B.I bank commission for Europe has stopped the transfer on its way to deliver payment of $10,000,000.00 to debit your reserve account and pay you through a secured diplomatic transit account (S.D.T.A). We govern and Oversee Funds Transfer for the World Bank and the rest of the world. We advice you contact us immediately, as the funds have been stopped and are being held in our custody, until you can be able to provide us with a diplomatic immunity seal of transfer (dist) within 3 days from the world local bank that authorize the transfer from where the funds was transferred from to certify that the funds that you are about to receive from Nigeria are antiterrorist/drug free or we shall have cause to cross and impound the payment, we shall release the funds immediately we receive this legal documents .

We have decided to contact you directly to acquire the proper verifications and proof from you to show that you are the rightful person to receive this fund, because of the amount involve, we want to make sure is a clean and legal money you are about to receive. Be informed that the fund are now in United kingdom in your name , but right now we have ask the bank not to release the fund to anybody that comes to them , unless we ask them to do so, because we have to carry out our investigations first before releasing the fund to you. Note that the fund is in the JP Morgan Chase right now, but we have ask them not to credit the fund to you yet, because we need a solid proof and verifications from you before releasing the funds.

So to this regards you are to re-assure and proof to us that what you are about to receive is a clean money by sending to us FBI Identification Record and also Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer(DIST) to satisfy to us that the money your about to receive is legitimate and real money. You are to forward the documents to us immediately if you have it in your possession, if you don't have it let us know so that we will direct and inform you where to obtain the document and send to us so that we will ask the bank holding the funds the JP Morgan Chase to go ahead Crediting your account immediately.
This Documents are to be issued to you from the World Local Bank that Authorized the transfer, so get back to us immediately if you dont have the document so that we will inform you the particular place to obtain the document because we have come to realize that the fund was Authorized by the bank that initialized the transfer Identification Record and Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer(DIST) often referred to as a Criminal History Record or Rap Sheet, is a listing of certain information taken from fingerprint submissions retained by the FBI in connection with arrests and, in some instances, federal employment,naturalization, or military service. These conditions is Valid until 5th of December 2008 after we shall take actions on canceling the payment and then charge you for illegally moving funds out of Nigeria. Guarantee: funds will be released on confirmation of the document.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Final instruction:
60f Credit payment instruction: irrevocable credit guarantee
61e Beneficiary has full power when validation is cleared
62 Beneficiaries bank in uk. can only release funds-
63 Upon confirmation from the world bank/united nations.
64 Bearers must clear bank protocol and validation request
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: We have asked for the above documents to make available the most complete and up-to date records possible for the enhancement of public safety,welfare and security of Society while recognizing the importance of individual privacy rights.. If you fail to provide the Documents to us, we will charge you with the FBI and take our proper action against you for not proofing to us the legitimate of the fund you are about to receive.
The United States Department of Justice Order 556-73 establishes rules and regulations for the subject of an FBI Identification Record to obtain a copy of his or her own Record for review. The FBI Criminal Justice Information.Services (CJIS) Division processes these requests to check illegal activities in uk and united states.An individual may request a copy of his or her own FBI Identification record for personal review or to challenge information on the Record. Other reasons an individual may request a copy of his or her own Identification Record may include international adoption or to satisfy a requirement to live or work in a foreign country or receive funds from another country (i.e.,Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer, letter of good conduct, criminal history background,etc.)

please forward any information in relation to the above.

Best regards,

FBI Director
Robert S. Mueller, III pp


(Why can't the FBI do something about this scam?)

[Ecumenist]

20. I used to get them all the time and then...

I'd send them an email letting them know that they've contacted the wrong person, that I am connected with the federal and international law enforcement and that I've sent a copy of this email to the FBI and interpol. Funny, I don't get them anymore and I can't understand why that is. :shrug:

[buff2]

21. LOL!

I get these letters all the time.....I delete them but I do get tired of this.

[Ecumenist]

24. Why don't you try it? It seems to run them off.

LOL!!

[LisaL]

27. I get at least four or five of these a month.

[Alter Ego]

16. Dumbass.

She deserved to fall for it--christ, this thing has "SCAM" written all over it in big red letters every time an email is sent, and Chris Hansen even did a Dateline special on catching 419ers. She's a complete idiot.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

17. Ya gotta be pretty dumb

to get robbed through the mail.

[Sheepshank]

22. remember the old adage

A fool and his/her money are easily parted. It's got her picture in the adage book.

Most of the Nigerian scam mail I get, all talk about hiding money from the others with a claim....something a smacks of a little illegal. So greed overrides all decency in the rush for the almighty "get something for nothing" windfall. Sometimes you just can't feel sorry when bad decisions come from pathetic reasonong.

[davidthegnome]

23. My dad has almost fallen for these before

Every time he gets one he forwards it to me and I tell him it's a scam. It doesn't stop him from asking again though... jeez.

Some times, out of boredom, I email these people back and tell them I am most interested in their business proposal, but need more information. Their names, their bank account and credit card numbers, etc. They usually leave me alone after that.

[LisaL]

28. Yea, it's easier to pray on the elderly.

But it's hard to understand as to WTF was going on in this woman's head, considering people were telling her this is all a scam, yet she kept on sending money.

[Ichingcarpenter]

25. If only she had bought a Toaster instead.

[Kat45]

29. I work at a church, and we get these almost daily.

But these often have a little twist aimed at the intended religious audience by mentioning that they were born again, wanted to make sure the money goes for good Christian uses, etc.

[Ichingcarpenter]

31. Maybe you ought to post this story at your Church

I don't think I need to at my Junior college where I work at part time.
They seem to know their target group.

[Kat45]

35. I don't need to because it all comes to my email account in the office.

I'm the only one who sees them and I immediately delete them. The junk mail filter catches all the penile enhancement spam, which I find pretty amusing to see sent to a church. LOL

[fujiyama]

30. She may as well be related to the other Spears

Wow, some people are DUMB DUMB DUMB.

[onager]

32. "The easiest person to con..."

"The easiest person to con," says Robbins, "is someone who thinks he's too smart to be conned."

I posted this recently in the Skeptics group. It's useful reading:

http://www.portfolio.com/careers/features/2008/11/13/How-To-Avoid-Getting-Conned#page1

[Ichingcarpenter]

33. You can't cheat an honest man."

You Can't Cheat an Honest Man is a 1939 comedy film starring and scripted by W.C. Fields.

Fields plays "Larsen E. Whipsnade", the owner of a shady carnival that is constantly on the run from the law, who said

"You can't cheat an honest man;
never give a sucker an even break,
or smarten up a chump."

WC knew what he was talking about.

[undeterred]

36. Doesn't she know EVERYONE gets those emails?

Or doesn't she know any regular people?

[Angleae]

37. Darwinism at its finest

Sucker.