Email scam

[ZERO]

Look what I received. First time I've gotten one.

From: Mr.Ken Matete

Amalgamated Bank of South Africa(ABSA).

Dear: Sir,

I know that this e-mail will come to you as a surprise since we don't know each other before now. But for purpose of introduction, I am Mr. Ken Matete the Manager of a branch of Amalgamated Bank of South Africa (ABSA) There is an account opened in this bank in 2002 and since november 2004 nobody has operated on this account. Again after going through some files in the records, I discovered that if I do not remit this money out urgently it would be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account was Mr. Jonas B. Andreas, a foreigner and a miner at Kruger Gold Co Pty Ltd South Africa. He was a geologist by profession and he died since 2004. No other person knows about this account or any thing about it. The account has no other beneficiary/next of kin and my investigation proved to me as much. The amount involved is Twelve Million United States Dollar (US$12million).

I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved for transfer to a local bank here, but can only be approved for transfer to any foreign account because the money is in US Dollar and the former owner of the account Mr. Jonas B. Andreas was a foreigner too. I want to seal this business with you, Your role will be to provide an off-shore account where this money will be transfer and to act as the next of kin to the former owner of this account.

I want us to meet face to face or sign a binding agreement to bind us together so that you can receive this money into a foreign account or any account of your choice where the fund will be safe. And I will fly to your country for withdrawal and sharing and other investments. I am involving you in this transaction because of the above reasons. I need your full co-operation to make this transaction work perfect because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner, who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you later.

Please respond to me urgently through this email: <removed> so that I will inform you the next step to take immediately. Send also your private telephone and fax number including the full detail of the account to be used for the transfer.

I am waiting for your prompt reply.

Your sincerely,

Mr. Ken Matete.

[ZERO]

I thought I would see what a quick search would find.

Googling "Amalgamated bank of South Africa" results in a wealth of 419 scam links. Although Amalgamated banks of South Africa appears to be a genuine bank.

Doing the same for "Ken Matete" also results in scam links, including this very thread. 8)

So just the minimum of checking, only a couple of minutes, reveals what this email is all about.

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

I get one every 2 or 3 weeks, they vary in grammatical ineptitude and far-fetchedness. Maybe they aren't being as choosy as they used to be

Isn't there just a little bit of you that thinks it might be true, and all that money is there waiting for you.....

[ZERO]

I get one every 2 or 3 weeks, they vary in grammatical ineptitude and far-fetchedness. Maybe they aren't being as choosy as they used to be

Isn't there just a little bit of you that thinks it might be true, and all that money is there waiting for you.....

No.

But there is a whole lot of me that wishes it was true.

[Cuddles]

I still haven't had one. I feel all left out.

[brodski]

I still haven't had one. I feel all left out.

Dear Cuddles,

I know that this e-mail will come to you as a surprise since we don't know each other before now. But for purpose of introduction...

[seren]

How can anybody possibly have not had one of these by now? All you need to do is set up a junk email account at yahoo or hotmail or somesuch, give it out on a few fora or in guestbooks, and wait.

Here is one of my favourite exchanges between a scam-baiter and her prey, in which she manages to close down the scammer's email account:
http://www.419eater.com/html/user_su...wplin/419.html

[Fiona]

Och I have not had one either, Cuddles. Don't be sad, our day will come

[MischiefMonkey]

How can anybody possibly have not had one of these by now? All you need to do is set up a junk email account at yahoo or hotmail or somesuch, give it out on a few fora or in guestbooks, and wait.

Here is one of my favourite exchanges between a scam-baiter and her prey, in which she manages to close down the scammer's email account:
http://www.419eater.com/html/user_su...wplin/419.html

Love that site. So sad Shiver has taken a back seat He's the best, apart from maybe the 'unimaginable bastard pig' , YeaWhatever. Only Baiter I know of who has got lads(scammers) to travel to Chad. Can't recall if they came back..........

[MischiefMonkey]

Och I have not had one either, Cuddles. Don't be sad, our day will come

That is a sign of someone who takes care of their email address and doesn't sign random guest books or sign up for dodgy 'free' deals

Be proud of your 100% risky-free scamless email accounts

[ZERO]

How can anybody possibly have not had one of these by now? All you need to do is set up a junk email account at yahoo or hotmail or somesuch, give it out on a few fora or in guestbooks, and wait.

Here is one of my favourite exchanges between a scam-baiter and her prey, in which she manages to close down the scammer's email account:
http://www.419eater.com/html/user_su...wplin/419.html

That is a sign of someone who takes care of their email address and doesn't sign random guest books or sign up for dodgy 'free' deals

Be proud of your 100% risky-free scamless email accounts

I received that email on my new gmail account.
I have only had it for about a month and have sent and received only five emails to electrical stores. I never sign guest books or go for any offers etc.

I don't know how my address became known?

[MischiefMonkey]

I received that email on my new gmail account.
I have only had it for about a month and have sent and received only five emails to electrical stores. I never sign guest books or go for any offers etc.

I don't know how my address became known?

Spooky - maybe we have psychic lads?



Maybe one of those electrical stores was mined. Or sold their list. My work email is clear of scam & spam. My other work email (I'm our sites web master) is hit once/twice a month. Never distrubuted that account, but it is on t'internet. My personal email - which I am carefull with - hit two/three times a week. My 'catcher' accounts - accounts set up deliberately to get scam email - 20+ times a week. My secondary accounts, used purely for baiting special lads, get an average of five 'unsolicited' scam emails a week from other lads.

If you get on a list the best thing is to ignore it. My dormant accounts get far fewer emails than my active. One previously prolific account hasn't had a hit since last November.