Email recieved from FBI - Hoax???

The biggest give-away that it's just spam is the salutation line: "Attention: ". If it was even remotely legit, they would address you by name. Notice that the email is not personalized in any way. There is no indication that the message was intended for you specifically, or anyone else for that matter.

My inbox on my hotmail account is FULL of these emails. It's a scam! I get them all the time and some are from Guyana as well.

Thank you all for the comments and url's. Obviously it seems part of the whole email scam and I decided not to be worried about a thing.

OP -

I had one of these a couple of months ago, and wish I was on my 'puter now to paste it here - almost verbatum of your e-mail. I forwarded it to my local FBI field office in New Orleans with my contact info (ha, that was funny to think about it) and let it be.

I was advised by others NEVER to reply in ANY WAY to these scams, as most are trolling for ID info for theft purposes. Don't even bother something like "Go eff yourself", cause they can get info on you like that, too. Better safe than sorry.

reply to post by Storm_Indigochild


He, he, I got that same e-mail last year and opened a thread on it, they are not from the FBI so don't worry about it.

This sounds about as bogus as a $3 bill. If you think you have been contacted, called, what ever by the FBI, call the local office in the nearest large city to your location. Ask to speak to the duty officer or SAC (special agent in charge), otherwise known as the supervisor for that office. Unless YOUR under investigation, or there are reasons for national security, they will let you know if they did or want to contact you.

The other security agencies, military, CIA/DIA/NSA/NRO and others I can't discuss are NOT LIKELY to tell you the truth. Since their actions are less law enforcement and more intelligence in nature it makes sense. This despite the the fact the FBI has counter-intelligence duties as well.

Yeah its a scam for sure. You know the rule. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

I actually believed this crap like a few years ago. I was all excited thought I had won the "UK LOTTERY". All there stuff looked really offical. And then I researched it online and found out it was a scam. I was pretty disapppointed.

To the OP


So sorry to hear your also on the list... Do not give your e-mail details to anybody from 'West Africa'. Unless your address has been passed around already expect to receive as many as 20 mails a day, that's my largest number in one day.

Having mentioned the FBI this mail will be of intrest to them, I tend to forward the mail and c.c. the sender to ::: [email protected] They are the FBI's electronic and telecommunications fraud department. I will say I only foward them the real naughty mail's like yours however I myself notice less 419 mail's hitting my in-box so it must be working.

I do enjoy 419eaters.com however remember your dealing with criminals some of them are organised and stories exist of certain 419eaters having 'comebacks'. Alas not many people get tracked down and beaten up however a few certainly have.

I have an extensive list of people's names, number's, and e-mails that are used when 419'ing so if I can be of any help just let me know.

The other trick coming into play being the 'money boxes' so no banking details would not be required... I do enjoy playing with the money box situation... Yeah sure send the three trunks stuffed full of money to me, I will be most happy to secure these items for you alas again I can say that as yet I am still waiting.

[email protected]
Ive gotten them from federal-reserve.com
Its those nice Nigerian scammer guys wanting your information to do many deceitful things with it.

Whatever you do, dont send them banking details! These Nigerian scams are a pain in the ass.. dont worry,I too have recieved some of those and nothing ever happened to me. You can see by the spelling mistakes like 'proof' instead of 'prove' . This is a dead givaway of their stupidity!

hope you come right..

reply to post by serenecalamityz


Oh BOY are you wrong! Try [email protected]! I sat and read the whole email in disbelief. Not because I thought it was real- but because it was so insane, ludicrous and just flat out ridiculous- it was like witnessing a train accident.

I got tired of the scam emails... and every so often, I reopen the Red Dwarf Mining Consortium mining office and send them 'samples' of mining stock. No one has bitten yet.

Having photoshop and access to the internet makes me a pretty formidable opponent properly hacked off by a scammer.

oh for Heaven's sakes! These are all over the place! I even work with a girl who, believe it or not, FELL for one of these!!!

She was a "victim" of the Nigerian scam and as a result lost her bank account AND lost about $3000.00!!! I could not believe she did it so I helped her to research what to do...and guess what?...you have no recourse!...so please delete these trash items and don't even open them... Good luck!,

FMF

reply to post by Storm_Indigochild


I've gotten this e-mail twice now, the first time I was concerned, only due to the fact that it seemed legitimate.

It even had the correct F.B.I. Seal on it.

Then I took three seconds exactly to think about it.

First, according to procedure, the F.B.I.'s director, will never send you an e-mail, at least not unless you are a golf-friend of his and you are employed somewhere within the halls of Government.

Second, according to procedure, the F.B.I. itself, director down to the bottom ex-flat foot now turned field Agent, does not ever, and I mean, ever, send an e-mail or letter in regards to something like this, period.

These types of e-mails, albeit looking official enough at times, are completely bogus.

Here's an example of a simpler one :

From Mr. Patrick K.W. Chan

Attention

I am Mr. Patrick K. W. Chan Executive Director & Chief financial Officer of Hang Seng Bank Ltd, Hong Kong. I have a lucrative business proposal of mutual interest to share with you; it involves the transfer of a large sum of money. I got your reference in my search for someone who suits my proposed business relationship. If you are interested in working with me contact me through my private email ([email protected]) for further details

Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Mr. Patrick Chan



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Here's a slightly more complex one :

From: Mr. Alfred Dube
ABSA Bank of South Africa
Tel: +27-73-802-0385
EMAIL: [email protected]

GREETINGS TO YOU AND TO YOUR FAMILY
Dear Sir,

I choose to reach you through e-mail, as it is the fastest medium of communication irrespective that it has been greatly abused. However, this correspondence is unofficial and private, and it should be treated as such. I am writing to you in trust as a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new bank account immediately to receive the sum of US$26.000.000.00.
I am Mr. Alfred Dube, Head of Audit Department (HAD) of ABSA Bank of South Africa. I discovered some money during the 2006 end of year auditing in an account opened with this bank in 1992 and since August 2003, nobody has operated on this account making the account to remain virtually dormant. After going through some old files in the records, I discovered that the owner of the account died without a (heir) hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently, the money will be forfeited to the interest of the bank.
From my findings, the owner of this account is late Mr. David Creanga, a Canadian Citizen and an industrialist who died on 8th of August 2003 in a ghastly motor accident with the fiancйe on their way to Cape-Town. From my further findings, no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it. The account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that late Mr. David Creanga until his death was one of the Boards of Trustees with Hispargravin (Pty) Ltd. This money can only be approved for payment only to a foreigner. Thus I am privately contacting you to assist me in repatriating the wealth left behind by this customer before the management declares this account unserviceable. The bank freezes unserviceable accounts over a period of time. While sourcing for more information in the file, I discovered that my bank has issued the final notice for the family members or next of kin to come forward and file claims within 12 months or the account
will be frozen after this period
I will be obtaining an affidavit of fact and other powerful back-up documents from the High Court of Johannesburg, South Africa, which will give a legal seal in other to authenticate you as the sole beneficiary/next of kin to this account balance of late Mr. David Creanga.
This business has not been revealed to any other person because of the sensitive position, which I held in the bank, and therefore I will expect you to maintain it too. So please reply urgently so that I will inform you on the next step.
I need your full co-operation to make this transaction work perfectly because the management of the bank is ready to approve this payment to whosoever has correct information of this account, which I will give to you upon your positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable. I need your strong assurance that you will never let me down immediately we start with the process. There is no risk whatsoever associated with this from your side with me monitoring and pushing the files for the whole process so long as you keep it within yourself.
I guarantee also that this will be executed under the most legitimate way to ensure that you and I are protected now and after the transaction. For this transaction, I would advice you to be contacting me with my private e-mail and private telephone numbers. This is because the bank e-mail is been monitored. Finally, kindly furnish me with your direct telephone/fax number and your full names to enable do the change of ownership of this fund in your name as the next of kin to late Mr. David Creanga.

PLS CONTACT ME ON MY PRIVATE EMAIL AND TELEPHONE,
Tel: +27-73-802-0385
EMAIL: [email protected]


I will await your urgent response.

Thank you.

Mr. Alfred Dube (HAD) ABSA Bank of South Africa

Here is the F.B.I.'s response to these kinds of e-mails on their own website :

Federal Bureau of Investigation :Cyber Investigation : Electronic Scams

Here's one of the many websites dedicated to exposing this scam :

Government Scams :Reporting on the Latest Frauds, Scams, Fake Lotteries, Spams and Hoaxes

I could not find my copy of your exact e-mail, I had saved it, and saved it under

Potential Scams - ITP

Since I cannot prove 100% without a doubt, that all of them are e-mail scams, I label them.

The "ITP" there is Interpol, in case I decided to bother with reporting them to the International Police.

I have reported one, to date, so far.

99% of these types of e-mail scams, you can for yourself, figure out that they are con jobs.

Check the spelling, it's generally off, and sometimes, atrociously so.

Check from where it is located as coming from, generally Africa, sometimes England or the United Kingdom.









I have now been e-mailing them back, just to yank their chain, and asking all the questions that I know they either cannot answer correctly, or which ties up their time and wastes their efforts.

Now, if you're interested in reading up on F.B.I. procedure, I recommend a few books for you.

The FBI Career Guide: Inside Information on Getting Chosen for and Succeeding in One of the Toughest, Most Prestigious Jobs in the World

The FBI: Inside the World's Most Powerful Law Enforcement Agency

The Bureau: The Secret History of the FBI

The COINTELPRO Papers: Documents from the FBI's Secret Wars Against Dissent in the United States

I have all of those books and many more, including on the
C.I.A., the White House, and other various agencies.

Oh yeah, one more thing, okay?

The F.B.I. will have already investigated you three months, to six months, to a year and a half, before you ever see an Agent face to face.

Usually, it will be some full of crap intimidation effort, or in the case of the really important, they will be followed by many Law Enforcement Officers as well as more than one Agent, all wearing F.B.I. windbreakers, so you cannot tell who is and who is not an actual Agent.

Remember Waco Texas? Not all of those individuals were F.B.I., they had their pretty blue and yellow windbreakers on.

I would avoid purchasing one of them, if you can find, as they tend to really hate that.

The same goes for the seal I provided a link to earlier, not a good idea, I've heard the horror stories.



We now return you to your regularly scheduled episode of the X-Files :



My favorite X-Files episode is Pusher

Anyone else catch the name of the perpetrator, Robert Patrick Modell, and then the later appeareance of Agent John Doggett, Robert Patrick, or am I the only one to pay that close attention to details?


[edit on 12-6-2009 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

Seems I too am in line for a Nigerian (supposedly) "good fortune". My "benefactors" have ranged from "The British Federal Department of Treasury" to "Bank of America". Of course, there's no such entity as The British Federal Department of Treasury. And now I'm told to contact "The FBI" and ascertain that the $10.5mil deposit held in my name is legitimate. (See latest email below).

No one should ever allows these messages to get to them. Delete and move on. No official letter would ever be so poorly constructed and no agency of government sends anonymous emails, especially addressed to "Fund Beneficiary" in place of a name and other pertinent details.

Here's the latest letter of "advice" received:


ANTI-TERRORIST AND MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI)
FBI HEADQUARTERS, J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535-0001


ATTENTION FUND BENEFICIARY.

THIS IS AN OFFICIAL ADVICE FROM THE FBI FOREIGN REMITTANCE / TELEGRAPHIC DEPT, IT HAS COME TO OUR NOTICE THAT THE C.B.N BANK NIGERIA DISTRICT HAS RELEASED 10,500,000.00 US DOLLARS INTO BANK OF AMERICA IN YOUR NAME AS THE BENEFICIARY, BY INHERITANCE MEANS.

THE CENTRAL BANK OF 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 WERE 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 IN THE U.S.A, 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 SECURITY BY THE AMERICAN 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 $10,500,000.00 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 TO 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 STATE 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 BANK OF AMERICA 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 BANK OF AMERICA TO GO AHEAD CREDITING YOUR ACCOUNT IMMEDIATELY. THESE DOCUMENTS ARE TO BE ISSUED TO YOU FROM THE WORLD LOCAL BANK THAT AUTHORIZED THE TRANSFER, SO GET BACK TO US IMMEDIATELY IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE DOCUMENT SO THAT WE WOULD UPDATE YOU WITH THE CONTACT DETAILS OF THE RESPONSIBLE OFFICE WHERE THE DOCUMENT WILL BE OBTAINED IN NIGERIA BECAUSE WE HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT THE FUND WAS AUTHORIZED BY CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA.

AN FBI 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 CONDITION IS VALID UNTIL 9TH OF JANUARY, 2010 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:

1. CREDIT PAYMENT INSTRUCTION: IRREVOCABLE CREDIT GUARANTEE.
2. BENEFICIARY HAS FULL POWER WHEN VALIDATION IS CLEARED.
3. BENEFICIARIES BANK IN U.S.A., CAN ONLY RELEASE FUNDS.
4. UPON CONFIRMATION FROM THE WORLD BANK / UNITED NATIONS.
5. 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 U.S.A

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.)
WE AWAIT FOR YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE.

REGARDS,

ROBERT MUELLER, III
FBI DIRECTOR

I joined the site linked to earlier a few years ago and tried my hand at scam baiting. It really is quite fun. the whole point of it comes down to wasting as muhc of the scammers time as possible, becaue although its obvious to you and me... The little old lady on the corner of your street migth think it's legit and spend her life savings trying to get the money.

If everyone who got one of these emails replied for a few emails it would start to make it harder for the scammers to work. Don't go sending a whole essay off in the first email because they hardly read em. Just have a generic email that you send back to em. Keeps em away from real the easy targets.