First Bait... a 419 with a twist (NOT NIGERIAN)

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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:09 am

I got this email from this guy claiming to be from a bank in Japan. I got it on my personal email, so I replied using a made up email under a very generic name (in fact I'm surprised the guy bought the bait!).
Read on for more, Headers are available if people want them.
------
Initial Email

Quote:

From: Akio Utsumi <a[dot]utsumi[at]aol[dot]com>
Sent: Sat 16/03/2013 9:36 AM
Subject: Hello
Message:

Greetings from Tokyo,

I am sorry to encroach into your privacy in this manner, I found you listed in the Trade Centre Chambers of Commerce directory here in Japan, I find it pleasurable to offer you my partnership in business, I only pray at this time that your address is still valid. I want to solicit your attention to receive money on my behalf.

The purpose of my contacting you is because my status would not permit me to do this alone. When you reply this message, I will send you the full details and more information about myself and the funds. If interested, please reply only through my alternate Email: autsumijp[at]ymail[dot]com

Mr. Akio Utsumi
Senior Financial Officer (SFO),
Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi, Japan.

At first glance, this is one of the better scams I've seen. For once they actually used a spell check! I then switched to a recently made account to make the reply.

Quote:

To: Akio Utsumi <autsumijp[at]ymail[dot]com>
Sent: Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 11:10 AM
Subject: Interest in Offer
Message:

To Mr. Akio Utsumi,

I am interested in your offer and would like more information. However, I do not believe I can completely trust your motives at this time. Could you also please send me enough information about yourself (e.g. images of official documents relating to you) to convince me of your good intentions, and that I can trust you?

Thank you for your cooperation.
[Bait Name Redacted]

I then get this a short time later. Be forewarned, it is long. That first one was obviously just to get someone's attention. This second one I also suspect of being a general reply, yet they did spell check it first as well, which strikes me as unusual. One word did fail though, but I won't point it out as I only realised that it was wrong when I ran a spell check over it!

Quote:

From: Akio Utsumi <autsumijp[at]ymail[dot]com>
Sent: Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 2:56 PM
Subject: Re: Interest in Offer
Message:

Dear Friend

Thanks for responding to my partnership proposal.

Please I would respectfully request that you keep the content of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come across as a result of this mail. I contacted you privately and no one is informed of this communication. I will give you the entire story behind the Business here. Please take your time and read the entire story. I do hope you find it interesting enough to want to do a partnership.

Sometime in 1999, a certain consultant/contractor Mr. Robert Gandesbery made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, currently valued at $38,000,000.00 (Thirty Eight Million US Dollars) in my bank. Upon maturity, routine notifications were sent to his forwarding address in America but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers, the Japanese Solid Minerals Corporation that Mr. Robert Gandesbery died alongside his longtime companion, from an airplane crash.

Further proof of the death of Mr. Robert Gandesbery is in the following web page for you to make confirmations and further research about his death:

http://www[dot]alamo-girl[dot]com/0366[dot]htm

If you are familiar with private banking practice, those who patronize our services usually prefer anonymity, but also some levels of detachment from conventional processes. In his bio-data form, he listed no next of kin. In the field of private banking, opening an account with us means no one will know of its existence, accounts are rarely held under a name, depositors use numbers and codes to make the accounts anonymous.

This bank also gives the choice to depositors of having their mail sent to them or held at the bank itself, ensuring that there are no traces of the account. Private banking clients apart from not nominating any next of kin also usually in most cases leave Wills in our care, in this case, Mr. Robert Gandesbery died intestate. In line with our internal processes for account holders who have passed away, my bank conducted a search in good faith to determine who should have right to claim the funds.

This has for the past months been unfruitful. This sum has since been sitting in my bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one has been able to come forward for it. According to the Laws of my environment, at the expiration of 12 years, the money will revert to the ownership of the Japanese Government if nobody applies to claim the funds. What I wish to relate to you will smack of unethical practice but I want you to understand something. It is only an outsider to the banking world who finds the internal politics of the banking world aberrational.

The world of banking especially is fraught with huge rewards for those who occupy certain offices and oversee certain portfolios. I alone have the deposit details and they will release the deposit to no one unless evidence of relationship with the deceased (which I shall provide you with) is presented. I alone know of the existence of this deposit for as far as the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi is concerned, the bank's management has no single idea of the history or nature of the deposit. They are simply awaiting instructions to release the deposit to the party that comes forward. This is the situation. My bank has spent great amounts of money trying to track this man's family, they have investigated for months and have found no relative. The investigation has come to an end.

Consequently, what I propose is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand in as the next of kin to Mr. Robert Gandesbery so that the fruits of this old man's labour will not get into the hands of some corrupt government officials. Acting in this capacity really is simple as I will explain in detail to you when I get your response. Being aware of this request I am making, I ask that if you find no interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I ask that you do not be vindictive and destructive. If my offer is of no appeal to you, delete this message and forget I ever contacted you. You may not know this but people like me who have made tidy sums out of comparable situations run the whole private banking sector. I am not a criminal and what I do, I do not find against good conscience, this may be hard for you to understand, but the dynamics of my industry dictates that I make this move. Such opportunities only come ones' way once in a lifetime.

The reward for this project makes it a task well worth undertaking. I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here is from you refusing to work with me and alerting the public.

My position as the SFO guarantees the successful execution of this transaction. If you find yourself able to work with me, I urge you to indicate to that effect.

In closing, please observe utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us.

Awaiting your urgent reply.

Yours Sincerely,

Mr. Akio Utsumi
Senior Financial Officer (SFO),
Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi, Japan.

Did a Google search on that site, and I believe it to be fake. Not going there as such, so I'll just be saying that I do not believe it to be evidence enough. Also did a search on the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi, Japan. Turned out it is a legit company, but there is a dash between the Tokyo and the Mitsubishi! Minor details though. I sent this back:

Quote:

To: Akio Utsumi <[email protected]>
Sent: Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 7:10 PM
Subject: Re: Interest in Offer
Message:

To Mr Akio Utsumi

I am sorry, but I have never heard of that news website before. Could you please find it on a news website that is more well known? I would also appreciate it if you could verify your authenticity through official documents like something issued by the government, or a photograph of yourself along with an ID card or passport. I hope you understand why I am sceptical, as $38 million dollars just doesn't appear out of nowhere. Otherwise, I will have to terminate communication with you. I do not want to do this as I do not want these funds going to fund the IRC, or the Institute for Cetacean Research, which I personally believe to be a major scam.

I hope I can trust you, otherwise this transfer of funds will not be able to go ahead.
[Bait Name Redacted]

Now that he knows I have motive, he will probably give me a proper ID (I hope). I won't make promises, but I think I might be on to a new scam that is obviously well researched. I aim to maintain correspondence, and go from there.
Also, I'm just wondering if this was motive enough. I think if he asks me where the money is going, then I'll just say that it is going to a charity, probably one for Multiple Sclerosis.
Anyone got tips? Be happy to more than happy to hear them!

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 7:06 pm

It's a common misconception that all scripts are terrible and look like they were written by a barely literate child. Some scripts have evolved over time, and they are actually a bit more plausible. Some scammers do learn when people point out their errors, and they change their scripts accordingly. That's why we never want to point them out.

The scammer is not really Akio Utsumi. Other than that, at this point you don't know anything about who he is. He could be Japanese, but he could also be American, African (including Nigerian), or even European. He is using AOL, and I don't remember if they show originating IP, but last year the scammers using this same script were using yahoo.co.jp as you can see here. There are signs of African English in the script too. But in the end, does this really matter when it comes to baiting it?

A quick search of the Alamo girl website registration shows:

Quote:

Domain Name: ALAMO-GIRL.COM
Updated Date: 10-may-2012
Creation Date: 06-jul-1999
Expiration Date: 06-jul-2013

That is consistent with a real site, not a fake. That makes sense, since there really was a Robert Gandesbery, and he really did die in a plane crash. All the scammers did was create a scam around him, and reference a real website mentioning him to make themselves appear more real. This is a common scammer tactic. If you google "Robert Gandesbery" you will find thousands of real stories about him. You will also find hundreds of hits on scam emails using his name, dating back as early as 2006 . (Maybe even earlier, I just did a quick search.)

When you are first starting to bait, you don't want to think like a baiter. You want to think like a victim, and consider what a real victim would do.

So you know this is a real person, and you know the scammer was trying to convince you that he is real by referring you to a real story. If you were a victim, what would happen next? Chances are, you would follow the link, and find that the dead man is real. You would be reassured because you were able to verify the truth, and that would make you more ready to cooperate.

This is what the scammer is looking for, and in the beginning, it's what you want to give him. If you're not even accepting the part of the story that is true, and you are already making significant demands of him at the third email, there is a good chance that he is going to see you as an unlikely victim, and more trouble than you are worth. Just as an experienced scammer will wait until his victim is hooked before making any extreme demands, you want your scammer to be invested before you start making demands of him. Once he is convinced that you are a real victim, then you are in a position to start making demands.

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 7:48 pm

Dorothy wrote:

It's a common misconception that all scripts are terrible and look like they were written by a barely literate child. Some scripts have evolved over time, and they are actually a bit more plausible.

I have a bait going right now where the script is really well written. Perfect English and everything. It even has a realistically written paragraph of legalese and confidentiality clause that follows every scripted email the scammer sends me. I have legal training and it looks really good to me, even though I can spot the mistakes that prove it false. So, to a victim who's thinking this email is legitimate, this clause is just going to make it look even more real to him/her.

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 10:03 pm

Dorothy Wrote:

Quote:

When you are first starting to bait, you don't want to think like a baiter. You want to think like a victim, and consider what a real victim would do.

Oddly enough I have never thought about it that way. Now I will! Absolutely Brilliant in my books!

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 6:32 am

Thanks for the tips! I'll try to take them on board. However, this mistake hasn't put the lad off yet, as I got this.

Quote:

From: Akio Utsumi <[email protected]>
Sent: Sun, Mar 17, 2013 at 1:12 PM
Subject: Re: Interest in Offer
Message:

Hello Mr [Name Redacted]

Thanks once again for your response and considering to partner with me on this business. I do understand that there would be some level of skepticism from you about me and my intentions because we do not know each other before. But the truth here is that i am presenting a business in good faith. I want to make it very clear here that with your co-operation, this business would be completed as soon as possible. It will be carried out legitimately with the necessary guidance. I want you to know that we will share this money 60% to 40% for me and you respectively.

Meanwhile, before we proceed, I would want to ask you a few questions:

* Have you handled transaction involving such an amount before?

* Will you be willing to travel for this transaction should the need arise?

* Do you have any record with your government that could affect any transfer of large amount of money to you in your country?

Please answer the above questions so we can discuss properly the modalities of the transaction.

Expecting your swift response.

Kind regards,
Mr. Akio Utsumi

This guys spell check is good for spelling, not so much grammar!

I think I might also have this guy going on a journey at some stage, although only if I can keep him.

I am wondering what my reply should be. I'm thinking keep hinting at the ID part, but only push it when I have to pay him, if I "have to" pay him, thus keeping the idea that the "victim" is hooked. I will reply that I haven't handled a transaction this large, and be willing to travel if it is paid for by "Akio", and then will pay him back with the money that I got out of this "transaction". With regards to the "record with your government", I think that this could simply be a criminal record or something. Any advice? I think I'll wait before doing any more, at this stage I'm not sure what the rules of scam baiting would recommend in regards to the travel bit.

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 6:58 am

Quote:

I want you to know that we will share this money 60% to 40%

Well I would think that seeing as you are the one taking the risks you should be getting the bigger share.. Twisted Evil

So arguing about that should waste a wee bit of time !

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:20 am

Thanks! I'll take note of that!

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:31 am

Ok, finally figured out what I would send, and I definitely have this guy hooked. Here's the email I sent:

Quote:

To: Akio Utsumi <[email protected]>
Sent: Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 5:06 PM
Subject: Re: Interest in Offer
Message:

To Mr Akio Utsumi,

Sorry for the delay, but I have been considering what you have said.

I obviously live under a rock for not having heard of that website, and I wish to apologise. I talked to a couple of friends, and they know the website well. However, I would still like a photo or an ID of some sort.

You stated that you wanted to split the money 60% to 40%, for you and me respectively. There are two things wrong with this:

1. As I am the one taking the risk and lying about being the deceased's next-of-kin (i.e. commiting fraud), then I should be the one to get the larger share of the money. As it is still a large sum of money, I am sure you wouldn't mind.

2. As it is such a large amount of money, wouldn't it raise alarm bells in both my country and in Japan if this money was rerouted back to you? I am sure you want neither of us to get caught.

In regards to your questions, I have not handled a sum as large as this, but I have handled sums of money up to $300,000 dollars at a time. I would also be willing to travel, but there are certain countries I will avoid travelling to. If that is the case, then I am sure we can organise alternative arrangements. With the final question, if you mean a criminal record, then no, I do not have such a record. However, I do not know if my government moniter incoming and outgoing monetary funds, and that could impose difficulties.

I hope that my delay hasn't put you off, as I know you want to get the money of your hands ASAP.

Regards,

[Name Redacted]

Then, a couple of hours later, I get this, along with a couple of pics.

Quote:

From: Akio Utsumi <[email protected]>
Sent: Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 8:14 PM
Subject: Re: Interest in Offer
Message:

Dear [Name Redacted]

I was worried when i didnt hear from you.

This is business and i am the one who owns the business, i am asking you to come be a partner, let us not allow greed ruin this for both of us. I will employ all legitimate means to protect you and me in this transaction. I assure you that you do not need to worry yourself. Please let us leave the sharing ration the way i already proposed.

I do appreciate your sincere response to my questions. Thank you for agreeing to do this transaction with me.

I will proceed to appointing an attorney who will prepare the necessary documents and affidavits which will put you in place as the next of kin to Mr. Robert Gandesbery (the deceased depositor). The attorney will draft a backdated WILL to purport that it had been written and signed by the depositor himself, which will name you as the beneficiary/sole executor of the described inheritance therein the WILL and the attorney will file in the High court the appropriate affidavit in order to empower you as the next of kin/Sole Beneficiary and Trustee/Sole Executor of the Estate of the depositor which includes the Funds, which with the payment of the same due to you as the next of kin and executor of the WILL. The very good thing about this transaction is that it will be done in a very proper and legal manner.

After all the necessary documentation for the funds release are met and satisfied, an approval will be given by the board of my bank for the release of the funds to your nominated account.

Please, again, note I am a family man, I have a wife and children, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should plan a meeting, soon.

In closing, please observe utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us.

Awaiting your urgent reply.

Provide this details again so we can start

Your Full Name:

Age:

Profession/Occupation:

Your Present address;

Your Address as at 24th November 1998 (date of the drafting of the Will):

Your confidential Telephone number (not voicemail or answering machine):

Your secured Fax number (Dedicated and always available on fax):

Your most secured E mail address:

Your Country:

I am attaching my ID and the certificate of deposit for your perusal.

Kind Regards,

Akio Utsumi

Here are the images I got:

This one was originally a LOT larger, and was more than twice as wide (over 1200 pixels), so this one has definitely been photoshopped. Also, an ID card for a Japanese bank in English? Confused

And the other one:

This one wasn't as big (only 700 pixels or so), yet is also clearly a fake.

So, "Akio" is still pushing for the 60-40 split his way, I think I'll try to push it to 50-50, and try to meet in the middle. If that doesn't work, then maybe my character will start to lose interest a touch, although that could backfire in my face and I could lose my lad. He did send the ID, although I am now going to ask for a photo of him in person, as my Lad seems to be well and truly hooked, and that should destroy and/or leave nothing left of the ID's validity, although that could still backfire at this early stage. I will give him a fake address and everything, but will probably try to get a Skype phone number to call him with. Profession will be Entrepreneur and PR Manager.

I am just wondering what the next step should be. This is almost seeming too easy, so I'm a bit wary. Any advice?

EDIT: Defaced Images so Scammers can't reuse them

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:04 pm

Quote:

This is almost seeming too easy, so I'm a bit wary. Any advice?

Welcome to Eater!

Like these, the first few emails ("levels") most full-time scammers send are usually previously scripted, including the IDs. It's not worth their time to write personal responses until they are convinced the victim is truly hooked. It's also not worth your time to work too hard on your initial responses. That's part of what underlies Dorothy's advice above. What the scammer doesn't know is that you're trying to hook him.

That said, it's a good sign that he responded to your request to change the percentage (the rest of that message is pre-scripted). You may be able to get him off script pretty soon, but don't push too hard at this stage. Play along like a victim, ask some innocent questions. You can probe how much he's getting off-script by throwing in casual but provocative one-liners about your character's personal life like "I've got to go see my dying mother now and talk to her about my inheritance" or "I'm crying here, I just got word that my Maserati burned down". Wink

Some stylings in the last email suggest he's West African, especially the bit about being a family man, but he could also have lifted this script from the thousands going around. Since he's using ymail you can get his IP address from the email's full header.

You're off to a decent start. I suggest you sign up for a mentor using the link in the Help Hints and Tips section.

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:03 pm

mikowmer wrote:

I am now going to ask for a photo of him in person, as my Lad seems to be well and truly hooked, and that should destroy and/or leave nothing left of the ID's validity, although that could still backfire at this early stage

Yes, it could backfire. You don't want to doubt the lad's ID. You want him to think that you believe him so I don't think asking for a personal picture at this stage is a good idea.

I'm sure you will be hearing from Mr. Utsumi's attorney soon. Of course, the "attorney" will likely be the same lad using a different email address. Be sure he sends you a copy of the all the documents and affidavits. When you get them, pick a sentence or two from the documents and write the lad back saying you don't understand what this means and ask him to explain. You can waste a lot of his time asking him to clarify various things in the documents. If he gets impatient with your questions, just tell him that you are afraid you will get in trouble with the law and you want to be sure fully understand what you are getting into.

Like bohigal said, don't push too hard. After a few emails clarifying details of the will and the other documents, tell the lad you are satisified and ready to move forward.

And definitely take bohigal's advice about seeding your emails with references to other people and situations in your character's life. You can use these later in the bait to create delays and confusion. The lad is much more likely to be willing to stay with you through these problems if he has heard of these other characters and situations before.

Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 11:42 pm

Ok, taking that all into account, no images YET. However, I am still going to nudge the splitting of the funds.
I am wondering though, he asked me for a fax number. What should I give him? I don't have a fax number (well, I do, but it is so close to my home phone number that I don't want to give it to him). I have signed up for a Skype number, and I will be giving him that, but the fax number is going to be a bit of a worry. At the moment, I'm going to not give a fax number, but everything else should go ahead.

Here is what I sent.

Quote:

To: Akio Utsumi <[email protected]>
Sent: Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 10:37 AM
Subject: Re: Interest in Offer
Message:

To Mr Akio Utsumi,

Thankyou for these images, but I have a couple more questions. The Certificate of Deposit states that there was $30 million dollars in the deceased's account. Was this the amount the deceased put into his account, or the amount that is currently in the account?

Again, with the split of the funds, I am not happy with only getting 40% of the final takings. If we could at least split it 50-50, then I might be a bit happier.

Here are my details:

Full Name: Mr [name redacted]

Date of Birth: April 28, 1961

Occupation: Mining Explosives Technician

Current Address: 200 Rodney Close, Kalkarindji, 0852, Northern Territory, Australia.

Address as of 1998: Same as Above

I am currently organising a secure phone number for use, and it should be ready for our next correspondence.

However, we don't have fax out here because it is so remote, and that is also why my emailing back is so intermittent. We do have printers out here, so you can email me the forms, then I can scan them and send them back.

This is my most secured email.

And I am in Australia, as I said earlier.

I hope I have given you enough to go ahead on. I may also be unable to get to you for a while, as I have to be at the mines until next Tuesday, due to a recent accident with a cave-in that nearly killed someone. As such, I won't be able to get on to my email, and will be unable to contact you for this period. Do not panic, as I am still interested. I simply have no way to reply until Tuesday.

Regards,

[name redacted]

Did I get this right? I won't be baiting him over the easter long weekend (hence the "cave-in" at the mines), so that should give me plenty of time to plan my next move. Any more advice?

PS: Thanks for all of the advice so far, and I have just signed up for the mentor program.

EDIT: Forgot to redact my characters name!

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:34 am

That should work fine. Don't worry about the fax #. I would be VERY surprised if the lad mentions it again. If he does, just say you don't have one and you see no need to get one - end of story. I guarantee you the lad won't drop a promising victim over a fax number. All he is doing by asking for contact details is to try to make you think he is legit and to test your willingness to comply with his instructions.

Do haggle with him over the percentage for awhile. It wastes his time and makes you look like you think there is real money at stake. Don't push it too far but the negotiation should be good for a few emails at least.

Don't worry about ignoring the lad for a few days. This is a great way to slow things down and begin to establish a little control. It is especially effective right after you tell the lad you have sent the payment. When the money doesn't show up and he can't reach you he will start to panic. You should get a series of increasingly freaked out calls and emails over a few days. Those can be loads of fun. Very Happy

Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 3:01 am

Quote:

he asked me for a fax number. What should I give him?

<a href="http://www.k7.net">K7</a> is a free answering service, and includes fax. Anything he faxes to you will be sent to your email. The area code is Washington State.

Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 6:54 am

MuzunguTheHuntress wrote:

Quote:

he asked me for a fax number. What should I give him?

<a href="http://www.k7.net">K7</a> is a free answering service, and includes fax. Anything he faxes to you will be sent to your email. The area code is Washington State.

... I think I said I was in the Northern Territory, in Australia. I didn't think that Washington State was in Australia. Wink

But I'll keep that in mind for my next character if I decide to make him/her from Washington. Thanks!

Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 10:20 am

Since your lad does appear to pay attention to detail more than most (I don't think any of my lads have ever questioned my fax being on the other side of the country from my charater - however another country may make one or two of them twig) there's an <a href="http://www.faxplus.com.au">alternative in FaxPlus</a> which will allow you to choose a # in your specific geographical area.

Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 1:46 am

MuzunguTheHuntress wrote:

Since your lad does appear to pay attention to detail more than most (I don't think any of my lads have ever questioned my fax being on the other side of the country from my charater - however another country may make one or two of them twig) there's an <a href="http://www.faxplus.com.au">alternative in FaxPlus</a> which will allow you to choose a # in your specific geographical area.

Wow... Thanks! This will make it much easier in future baits. Thank you very much Very Happy

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:59 am

I think I have a bank site to be killed!

On Tuesday, I noticed there wasn't a reply. I was a tad worried, but none-the-less, I still sent Akio an email, and got a reply!

Here's the extra email I sent:

Quote:

To: Akio Utsumi <[email protected]>
Sent: Tue, Apr 2, 2013 at 4:30 PM
Subject: Re: Interest in Offer
Message:

To Mr Akio Utsumi,

I await your reply. I am back from the mine, and have the next couple of weeks off, so we should be able to organise a call soon. I have managed to get a secure number organised, and the number is [NUMBER REDACTED]. I would appreciate it if you only called at the organised time so that I am not woken up in the middle of the night, to which I nor my family will be very impressed with. I also await your attorney's correspondence. I would like to get these matters over and done with as fast as you want to.

Regards,
[NAME REDACTED]

I then got this back:

Quote:

From: Akio Utsumi <[email protected]>
Sent: Wed, Apr 3, 2013 at 3:12 AM
Subject: Re: Interest in Offer
Message:

Dear [NAME REDACTED]

Hope you are doing great?

I have seen two banks in Europe with same code identifier as mine, one in Switzerland and one in England. But the one in England is preferable because we have an attorney there.

Here is the info.

Bank Name: Yorkshire Bank Plc.
Bank Address: 4 Victoria Place, Manor Road, Leeds LS11 5AE United Kingdom
Contact Person: Dave Bothroyd
E-mails: [email protected] ; [email protected]

Contact the bank requesting for information on how to open an offshore account.

Copy me in all your correspondence, so i can monitor proceedings from here.

Let me also inform you that I have concluded negotiations with the Attorney, The total cost for processing all the requested documents is $32,000.00. I will be transferring 70% of the fees ($22,400.00) by Friday. This is the required upfront payment, the balance ($9600.00) to be paid on completion of the documents processing. This means that i have everything under control here as regards the processing of the documents.

Please now i am about to start make financial contribution in this business, do not disappoint me.

Though i would have loved to speak to you first but i believe you are trustworthy and we can proceed.

Regards,
Akio Utsumi

Ok... On second thoughts, maybe not. I just went ahead and checked the bank. It is a legit bank, but the emails don't correspond with the bank's emails. I then tried going to www.yorkshireboard.co.uk, which also turned up null. I hope to be able to call my lad soon, although I don't exactly know how to proceed at this point.
I still haven't got him completely off script yet, but I think I'm close.
Any Advice?

EDIT: What is this "Code Identifier" he was talking about?

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:15 am

WHOIS said:

Code:

Domain name:
yorkshireboard.co.uk

Registrant:
Kate Brown

Registrant type:
UK Individual

Registrant's address:
The registrant is a non-trading individual who has opted to have their
address omitted from the WHOIS service.

Registrar:
Plusnet Plc [Tag = FORCE9]
URL http://www.plus.net

Relevant dates:
Registered on 11-Apr-2011
Expiry date 11-Apr-2013
Last updated 11-Apr-2011

Registration status:
Registered until expiry date.

Name servers:
ns1.force9.net
ns1.plusnet.co.uk 195.166.128.17
ns2.force9.net
ns2.plusnet.co.uk 212.159.13.150

WHOIS lookup made at 09 0

Not a bank site. But the host does not resolve to an IP right now, so I think someone has already reported the fake bank.
If you try to write to [email protected] or [email protected] you should get an error message. Forward it to the scammer and let him explain what happened to the bank.

Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 1:56 am

Ok, sent an email to banker "Dave", with Akio as the CC, as Akio asked (as I write this, I definitely made a mistake here), and then promptly got 2 emails back: One from Dave, and one from Andrew Sheftel.
Oh, and my email to them didn't bounce.
Here are the Emails:

Quote:

To: Dave Bothroyd <[email protected]>
CC: Akio Utsumi <[email protected]>
Sent: Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 10:51 AM
Subject: Regarding Will Details
Message:

To Mr Dave Bothroyd,

I am contacting you for reasons outlined by Mr Utsumi in your correspondence. I have been told that payment for you has been organised for the organisation of the will.

Could you please send me the appropriate documents so that I can fill them out?

Also, if we could organise a time to talk over the phone, this would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

[NAME REDACTED]

Here's the email I got from Dave:

Quote:

From: Dave Bothroyd <[email protected]>
Sent: Fri, Apr 5, 2013 at 5:54 PM
Subject: RE: Regarding Will Details
Message:

4 Victoria Place
Manor Road
Leeds
LS11 5AE
United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ybonline.co.uk
Tel: +44 704 570 6089
Fax: +44 700 607 4165

April 5th, 2013

Attention: [NAME REDACTED],

RE: OPENING OFFSHORE ACCOUNT

My office has received your request to set up an offshore account with our esteemed Bank. Thank you for choosing the Yorkshire Bank Plc.

We do provide a wide range of Personal, Business and Private Banking Solutions to match the various needs of our customers.

With the Premier International Account you can:

•Enjoy a current account in Sterling, Euro, or US Dollar
•Access your money 24/7 with Internet and Phone Banking
•Withdraw money at local ATMs with Visa debit cards available in all 3 currencies
•Make international payments and receive money from overseas
•Pay bills or send money to family in the UK
•Get 35% off in the first year of Priority Pass airport lounge access membership*

Your Opening Requirement will include:

•Minimum opening deposit of Two Thousand Pounds Sterling (£2,000.00)
•Signature cards, certified copy of a picture ID, verification of residential address (utility bill, credit card statement).
•One Guarantor, resident and working in the United Kingdom
•Complete the Online Application Form by clicking on this link:
http://www.yksonline.eu/Home/register.php

Yours Faithfully,
Dave Bothroyd
Customer Service Admin Manager
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 704 570 6089

And here is the email I got from Andrew:

Quote:

From: Andrew Sheftel <[email protected]>
Sent: Fri, Apr 5, 2013 at 6:08 PM
Subject: Attention: [NAME REDACTED]
Message:

Attention: [NAME REDACTED],

Good day.

I have been mandated to serve as your legal representative and process documents necessary to facilitate an inheritance claim on your behalf as applied for on your behalf by Mr A. Utsumi from Japan.

I was informed that i will be your guarantor at the Yorkshire bank, regarding an account to you are to open. I will make contact tomorrow with the Bank.

To commence my work, I need you to provide me with the following details:

Your Complete Name:
Address:
Date of birth
Occupation:
Nationality:

It is necessary for processing your Authority to Claim Affidavit.

Kind regards,
Barrister Andrew Sheftel Esq

I am starting to get to the point where I am a bit out of my depth, being a beginner. However, I still think I might be able to get a couple of sites killed.
Notably: http://www.yksonline.eu/
I think that they only have a webpage on http://www.yksonline.eu/Home/register.php as I checked the base url and simply came to an index site..
Checking the headers, both come from a Hotmail account, meaning the addresses are more than likely spoofed.

As usual, any advice?

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 18313

mikowmer wrote:

I am starting to get to the point where I am a bit out of my depth, being a beginner. However, I still think I might be able to get a couple of sites killed.
Notably: http://www.yksonline.eu/

You're correct. And the other domain, [email protected], has a working email address, so even though there is no content showing for a hosted site, can also be reported.

Please start a thread in the fake sites forum for these. (put both on one thread since they are used together). Put the domain name in the subject line, a link to the fake site in the body of the post, as well as a link to this thread and the scam email (plus header) from the domain. Set the status of the thread to "Need help" and members who work on fake sites will help you.

Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 4:55 am

mikowmer wrote:

Checking the headers, both come from a Hotmail account, meaning the addresses are more than likely spoofed.

Actually, no it's not spoofed; Hotmail is the mail server for the domain.

Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 5:44 am

Oh, ok, so I was halfway there knowing that Hotmail was used for it. Just didn't quite have the other half. Thanks!

Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 3:38 am

Site Killed, email not killed yet. I've emailed both Dave and Andrew, and have gotten no replies. I'll try emailing Akio again, just to see if he "knows" what is going on, although I suspect that he doesn't check the Dave and Andrew accounts unless he gets CC'ed in an email to them. Bad practice for a scammer, I think! Wink

Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 11:58 am

Akio has replied to me, and this is what I have:

I sent him:

Quote:

To: Akio Utsumi <[email protected]>
Sent: Mon, Apr 8, 2013 at 1:34 PM
Subject: Not Impressed
Message:

To Akio Utsumi,

I have tried to get in contact with both Dave Bothroyd and Andrew Sheftel, the two people you put me in contact with. They have only sent me one email each, and have not replied to follow up emails. Also, the website that Dave told me to go to sign up for an account no longer seems to exist. Could you please get these two to get their heads into gear? I am not impressed with your selection of bank and attorney.

Please don't make this any harder on me or yourself. If this inaction is going to continue, then I will not only be expecting a much larger share of the funds, but I will be demanding it.

Regards,
[NAME REDACTED]

And I get this back:

Quote:

From: Akio Utsumi <[email protected]>
Sent: Mon, Apr 8, 2013 at 8:47 PM
Subject: Re: Not Impressed
Message:

Dear [NAME REDACTED],

You can contact Mr Bothroyd of the on that issue i cannot contact him on your behalf. i must not be remotely connected to what you do.

But i will contact the lawyer, i believe the weekend must have been responsible for the delay.

Akio

I just realised something; In a previous email Akio said this:

Quote:

Copy me in all your correspondence, so i can monitor proceedings from here.

Do you think I should pull this gem on Akio or not? Advice?

Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 2:40 am

BAIT IS NOT DEAD YET!! Fortunately, I know get the forms from Andrew, still no reply from Dave yet.

Here it is:

Quote:

From: Andrew Sheftel <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 3:42 AM
Subject: RE: Attention: [NAME REDACTED]
Message:

Attention: [NAME REDACTED],

Good day.

I have attached a soft copy of the Authority to Claim Affidavit.

What you need to do is sign and email back a scanned copy for further processing.

Kind regards,
Barrister Andrew Sheftel Esq.

I have read the pdf, and here is what is says below:

I think I might have ammunition for a certain character to get angry with a certain lad for taking him along for a ride! Should my character get angry with Akio?

PS: With the flags, I can't find anywhere as to which codes are for which flags. Could someone give me the code for the Union Jack?

EDIT: Image doesn't seem to be working, so text is posted here:

Quote:

I Advocate Andrew Sheftel, a Barrister with Tanfield Chambers, United Kingdom,
do hereby make an oath and swear before the Honourable Justice of the Her
Majesty’s Courts Service Headquarters as follows:

1) That I the above named person am the Legal Attorney to John James Smith,
51 years old Male, an Australian National that resides at 200 Rodney Close,
Kalkarindji, 0852, Northern Territory, Australia.

2) That John James Smith is a Nephew to late Mr. Robert Gandesbery that died
aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 261 that crashed into the Pacific Ocean on
January 31st, 2000, killing all 88 people on board. Amongst whom were the
deceased and his wife Jean Gandesbery.

3) That John James Smith is a contingent in the WILL of late Mr. Robert
Gandesbery and has the authority to be the Sole Beneficiary and
Trustee/Sole Executor of the Estate of the deceased in the absence of the
primary beneficiary.

4) That John James Smith has not knowingly made any false declaration as
regards information provided. As untruthful and misleading information are
denial and/or termination of claims.

5) That this affidavit is required for record purposes.

That I make this declaration solemnly believing same to the true, in accordance with
the oaths law of the British act of 1854.

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