The Nigerian Scam is Finding its Way to Facebook

Holly Cow!

According to this email I'm going to be able to quit my job soon because a long lost relative and his family were all killed a car wreck in Africa with me as the only possible heir to millions.

Yeah right!

I've seen this same email show up in my regular email for years now, but normally it is stopped by email SPAM filters.

Now, the Nigerian Spam Scam has showed up in my Facebook email for the first time.

I don't know how long this old scam has been showing up in Facebook users' email accounts, but I received this in my Facebook account the other day. This is a typical Nigerian email scam which has several variations.

This email may be getting through as Facebook does not have aggressive SPAM filters like yahoo, hotmail and gmail to catch these types of Scams.

Because Facebook lacks solid SPAM filtering technology, users of the popular social media site need to stay vigilant.

Here are some quick methods for determining SPAM scams:

1. If it sounds too "good to be" true rest assured it is!
2. Look for poor grammar and spelling.
3. Copy out a line from the document and search for the phrase inside of quote marks in Google to locate scam and hoax reports from sites like http://www.urbanlegends.com and http://www.snopes.com
4. Read the email using common sense and a critical eye.

Below is a copy of the email I received in my Facebook email box. Let me take a few moments to analyze this letter.

The first trouble sign I saw in this is email is the name of the sender Alison Cross. I do not know an Alison Cross. Not knowing the sender is not necessary wrong, but when taken into account in context of this email it is a huge red alert.

This author uses the term Barrister when addressing an American Citizen who is more familiar with the terms Lawyer or Attorney.

I don't know of nor do I have any awareness that anyone with our unique family name has ever lived in Lome Togo West Africa. The author also does not use a first name. She only uses initials Mr.G.F.Cheuvront which is poorly spaced. Attorneys are normally sticklers for details and very few would ever send out anything in writing with as many errors as are contained in this email.

Once again poorly spaced text (relatives,I decided) is a sign that the letter has been cut and pasted.

So the author tells me… I have contacted you to assist.

Translated: we will be asking you to send us money. This is not necessary to claim an estate to which you are a legitimate heir even in Africa with the possible exception being countries with tyrannical dictatorships.

The biggest most obvious problem with this email is when the author hints that this huge fund valued at US$6.4m may be available to be claimed by me. Remember what I said earlier… if its sounds to good to be true it is. It is a scam 100-pecent of the time when some hints that you could be rich by simply getting in touch with them.

Watch out for awkward incompressible phrasing like this entire mess of a paragraph.

Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for transfer. I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for claim. All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through.

WHAT? Huh?

What is meant by the "sharing rations and modality" is… you send us a bunch of money you can't afford to lose and the "sharing ratio" is… we get 100-percent of your money and you lose 100-percent of the money you send us.

They make the math simple.

Now if you really want to make your life miserable send this gal all the personal information she is requesting and you will be harassed like you won't believe.

Send all infomations to my private email box: akwachamberstg@******.** [Email address obscured by editor of this post]  (Note: Here is another spelling error "informations.")

Email Scam Received in My Facebook Account

I have highlighted the concerns I have with the letter in red.

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Dear friend,

I am Barrister Alison Cross, personal attorney to Mr.G.F.Cheuvront, a national of your country, who used to work as a contractor and importer in Lome Togo[West Africa] Here in after shall be referred to as my client . On the 18th of June 2004, my client, his wife and their only daughter were involved in a car accident. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives.

Since then I have made several enquirers to here to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts to locate his real relatives,I decided to contact you since you have the same last name with my late client. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the fund valued at US$6.4m left behind by my client before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Security Finance Firm where this huge amount were deposited.

The said Bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have his account confiscated within the next twenty one official working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over years now, I seek the consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased since you have the same last names, so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you.

Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for transfer. I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for claim. All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through.

I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Please reply with your information if you are really interested and ready to work long with me in this transaction.

Your Full Name…………..
Your Sex………………..
Your Age………………..
Your Country…………….
Your Occupation………….
Your Personal Mobil N°……
Your Personal Fax N°……..
Your Private Email…………..

Send all infomations to my private email box: akwachamberstg@******.**[Email address obscured by editor of this post]

Awaiting to hear from you.
Best regards,

Barrister Alison Cross(Attorney-at-Law)

Email: akwachamberstg@******.** [Email address obscured by editor of this post]

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