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September 28, 2009

About a year ago, I posted two Dispatches (here and here) about 419er email messages trying to convince recipients that not only was some recently discovered money due to them, but that someone was trying to claim the money in their names without permission. The goal of this approach is to get you riled up about the impersonation and spur you to get in touch with the crook.

Today I saw a similar approach, but this time, the "impostor" was after my money by claiming he was my next of kin and that I was dead. Here's the tale:

Subject: RE: URGENT ATM ALERT

Finance Department Director

UNITED TRUST BANK LIMITED
80 Haymarket London
SW1Y 4TE
England

ATTN BENEFICIARY:

I found your name in the Central Computer among the list of unpaid
(Contractors, Inheritance next of kin and lotteries winners beneficiaries that was originated from American, Europe, Asia plus Middle east and Africans) among the list of individuals and companies that your unpaid fund has been located to the Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC,Barclays Bank, Natwest Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, African Bank,Trade Bank, ICB, African Development Bank,Bank of America, Eco Bank plc, United Trust Bank Plus ATM payment. Your name appeared among the beneficiaries who will receive a part-payment of US$5.5 million and has been approved already for months. You are requested to get back to me for more direction and instruction on how to receive your fund.

However, we received an email from one Dr. Robert Walter who told us that he is your Next of kin and that you died in a car accident some time ago.

Dr Robert Walter account co-ordinate as follows:

Name of Bank: BANK OF AMERICA
Name of Account Holder: Robert Walter
Account Number: 0046 1697 4294
Routing Number: 011000178
Bank Address: 740 Gallivan Ave., Boston, MA. 02124
SWIFT CODE: BOF AU3N
WIRE TRANSFER NUMBER: 026009593

He has also submitted his account for us to transfer the fund to him. We want to hear from you before we can make the transfer to confirm if you are dead or not.

Once again, I apologize to you on behalf Of IMF (International Monetary Fund) failure to receive your funds in time, which according to records in the system had been long overdue.

Yours Sincerely,

DOUGLAS ADAMS
Finance Department Director
UNITED TRUST BANK LIMITED

As in the earlier attempt, today's message includes bogus account information on the interloper to make it look more legitimate. The street address and ZIP code of the BofA branch are slightly off (the real branch is on Gallivan Blvd in 02122 — info that took me all of 10 seconds to discover on Google Maps), and whether the various numbers and codes are real (mostly doubtful) is not worth investigating.

The crook-sender of this email, already disguising himself as a bank executive, throws one more log on the fire by apologizing on behalf of the International Monetary Fund. Sheesh.

One of the things that caught my eye about this message was the crook's use of the name Douglas Adams. When you see the From: name of a message that is the same as someone you've known — the late, great Douglas Adams — it does peak one's curiosity. I first got to know the real Douglas a long time ago when he was using HyperCard in the course of research for his Last Chance to See project. I have no way of knowing if this 419er even knows the heritage of the name, or if it was just a name composed at random. Alas, the crook's meaning of life may well be a number, but it's the number of dollars — far more than 42 — he can scam from unsuspecting victims.