New variant of Nigerian Scam or Money Laundry?

[Lucifuge Rofocale]

Hello.
I just received this email:

Hello Sir/Madam,

I am Victor Poroshenko, owner RTS-soft Co, we specializing in enterprise
application development, system integration, corporate networks and other
software solutions for business, finance, and for various types of problems.

My company based in Ukraine. We've earned ourselves a reputation of a
reliable and trustworthy partner working successfully with a number of
West European and North American companies and providing them with reliable
software development services in financial and media sectors.
Unfortunately we are currently facing some difficulties with receiving
payments for our services. It usually takes us 10-30 days to receive
a payment and clearing from your country and such delays are harmful
to our business. We do not have so much time to accept every wire transfer.
That's why we are currently looking for partners in your country to help us
accept and process these payments faster. If you are looking for a chance
to make an additional profit you can become our representative in your
country. As our representative you will receive 8% of every deal we conduct.
Your job will be accepting funds in the form of wire transfers and check
payments and forwarding them to us. It is not a full-time job, but rather a
very convenient and fast way to receive additional income. We also
consider opening an office in your country in the nearest future and you
will then have certain privileges should you decide to apply for a
full-time job.
Please if you are interested in transacting business with us we will
be very glad.
Please contact me for more information via rtssoftdir@aol.com and send us
the following information about yourself:

1. Your Full Name as it appears on your resume.
2. Education.
3. Your Contact Address.
4. Telephone/Fax number.
5. Your present Occupation and Position currently held.
6. Your Age

Please respond and we will provide you with additional details on how
you can become our representative. Joining us and tarting business today
will cost you nothing and you will be able to earn a it of extra money
fast and easy.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to ontact us with all
your questions.

Sincerely,
Victor Poroshenko,
Director of RTS-soft Co


I'm wondering is this is a new type of nigerian scam or just money laundry?
I bet is the former.

[YoPopa]

I bet you will get checks sent to your mailbox. They will want you to forward their payment, minus your 8% commission, via Western Union which is quick & sure while you wait for the checks which you deposited in your account to bounce.

I say go for it. At least until you get one or two of the phony checks which you can use for wall paper.

If you do scam bait these people be sure to mung your name somewhat and use a disposable Email account from Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail to contact them.

[Darat]

(Not legal advice)

I wouldn't advise anyone to ever get involved in anything like this - not even accepting a cheque for a laugh, you could easily be implicated in money laundering.

[Rob Lister]

scam, me thinks.

It's the foreign bank check clearance scam.

[Rob Lister]

I say go for it. At least until you get one or two of the phony checks which you can use for wall paper.


which is exactly what they want you to do/think.

no way to win. the cleared checks will ... oops! ... not really be cleared. you're out the cash.

[YoPopa]

which is exactly what they want you to do/think.

no way to win. the cleared checks will ... oops! ... not really be cleared. you're out the cash.
I think you missed my point? Of course this is a scam. I am not advising forwarding the money, just baiting the scammers.

Darat is being a bit overly cautious. In my experience the police won't even follow up on this fraud unless you've lost money yourself and go to all the trouble of filing a complaint. Then they will probably tell you tough luck. The scammer is overseas and not worth the trouble. Yes, I checked with local police & my postmaster when I did the scam baiting thing. It's just a little harmless fun that annoys the scammers.

One other thing you can do is complain to AOL sice this scammer is using an AOL address, or Yahoo, or Hotmail or Gmail if that be the case. Often times the ISP will remove that user's account. Yes, the scammer will set up a new address and start over but it will disrupt business for anyone who is stupid enough to reply in good faith to the scammers.

[JEROME DA GNOME]

Were do I sign up?

I want free cash!!!

:jaw-dropp

[Fnord]

SCAM
Do NOT cash the check!
Do NOT give out ANY personal information!

I have a friend searching Snopes (http://www.snopes.com) to verify this. The scam operates as follows:

1) You receive a check from the scammer.
2) You deposit it.
3) You write another check to the scammer or a third party (minus your percentage).
4) The bank tries to acquire the funds behind the check.
5) There are no funds.
6) The bank deducts the funds from your account (including your percentage).
7) You contact the scammer.
8) The scammer apologizes profusely ("Et moost beh mistek. I fix et now.")
9) The scammer offers to send you another, larger check to cover all of
your expenses.
10) Repeat from Step 1.

All this time, the scammer is using your personal information to ... oh, maybe get a copy of your birth certificate, a driver's license, a gun permit, and a new credit card - all in your name!

Not to mention that you are in the hole for the amount of each check, but for the service fees and penalties for "Insufficient Funds" on each bounced check. Your credit rating and "trust factor" with the bank are also ruined.

As soon as I find the appropriate links, I will post them.

[JEROME DA GNOME]

SCAM
Do NOT cash the check!
Do NOT give out ANY personal information!

I have a friend searching Snopes (http://www.snopes.com) to verify this. The scam operates as follows:

1) You receive a check from the scammer.
2) You deposit it.
3) You write another check to the scammer or a third party (minus your percentage).
4) The bank tries to acquire the funds behind the check.
5) There are no funds.
6) The bank deducts the funds from your account (including your percentage).
7) You contact the scammer.
8) The scammer apologizes profusely ("Et moost beh mistek. I fix et now.")
9) The scammer offers to send you another, larger check to cover all of
your expenses.
10) Repeat from Step 1.

All this time, the scammer is using your personal information to ... oh, maybe get a copy of your birth certificate, a driver's license, a gun permit, and a new credit card - all in your name!

Not to mention that you are in the hole for the amount of each check, but for the service fees and penalties for "Insufficient Funds" on each bounced check. Your credit rating and "trust factor" with the bank are also ruined.

As soon as I find the appropriate links, I will post them.



Spoil Sport.

[Fnord]

Spoil Sport.


No. I just care about people.

[JEROME DA GNOME]

No. I just care about people.

I was being sarcastic. Sorry.

[lordofwaffles]

I always liked playing with the scammers who found their way into my inbox.

I think my record was 10+ messages from the scammer before he caught onto the fact I was screwing with him. I would have thought the claim I was a "Vice-Minster of the Chief Zeppelin Concern in the United States of Quebecistan" he might have caught on. Then again, perhaps my demands he prove the bank is "devoid of all zombies and mind-flayers" may have given me a aura of believability.

[Senex]

Clearly this guy didn't attend this worthwhile conference http://j-walk.com/other/conf/index.htm

[thatguywhojuggles]

I just got this one today:


From:Jawad Mutaa
Greetings.
As you read this, don't feel sorry for me, because it is the destiny of
everyman to die someday. I am jawad mutaa a naturalised Briton by birth
and a business merchant based in the United Kingdom. I have been
diagnosed
with Esophageal cancer.
It has defiled all forms of medical treatment, and right now I have
only
about a few months to live, according to medical experts. I regret that
I
have not particularly lived my life so well, as
I never really cared for anyone (not even myself), but my trade. Though
I
am very well to do, I was never open handed; I was always hostile to
people and regarded them like they never had hopes of becoming as
successful as myself. Now I know that there is a lot more to life than
just prosperity.
I believe that when I am given a second chance to come to this world, I
would live my life a different way from how I have lived it.
, I have willed and given most of my belonging to
immediate and extended family members, as well as a few close friends.
I have been able to reach out to a few charity organizations in the
Singapore, Algeria and Malaysia. Now that my health has deteriorated so
badly, I cannot do this myself anymore.
I once asked members of my family to aid me in giving of alms to those
organizations catering for the les s privileged in Bulgaria and
Pakistan;
they refused and kept the resources to themselves. Hence, I do not
trust
them anymore, as they seem not to be contempt with what I have left for
them.
The last of my belonging which no one knows of, is the huge deposit of
Eighteen million US dollars that I have in a safe keeping company
abroad,
which I will want you to secure and bestow to charity organizations.
Please endaevour to reply me via email:jawad.mutaa1@yahoo.de . For your
time and devotion, I have set aside a tenth of this for you.
God be with you.
Jawad Mutaa

[JEROME DA GNOME]

Clearly this guy didn't attend this worthwhile conference http://j-walk.com/other/conf/index.htm


Your choice: A hard boiled egg, or two slices of white bread and a cricket.

:boggled:

[Shrike]

A software development company that uses an aol-account?
Riiight....

[sophia8]

Here in the UK, banks are alert to money-laundering. An account gets flagged for attention if it suddenly shows unusual activity, such as the regular deposit of funds from abroad.
Don't try it - people have been prosecuted for it.

[krelnik]

Hello.
I just received this email .... is this is a new type of nigerian scam or just money laundry?
I bet is the former.

Yes, this is a "nigerian scam".

The U.S. organization National Consumers League has a good site about this whole general type of scam, which they refer to generically as a "Fake Check" scam. They've also been running some pretty good television ads making fun of these emails, and making the excellent point that you would not accept one of these offers if the person walked up to you and tried it in person.

Here is their page on this particular variation:
http://fakechecks.org/preventionWorkAtHome.html

--Tim Farley

[Lucifuge Rofocale]

Thanks for the advice people, actually as you can say from my OP, I know it was a scam, I was not sure wich one it was.
I'm sad about people actually scammed by those rats. But I have to admit that this particular scam is more credible. They used a legitimate Ukranian company, and a much more legal approach, far better than stealing the money of some dead person.

Regards