Short Bait, will the real bank reply?

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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:15 am

I got another recovery fee scam. I asked for more information and received this lengthy letter on the law firm.

Quote:

HESSE/HESSE CHAMBER LAW FIRM
No. f459/4 Nyaniba Estates,
Osu, Accra Ghana.

Dear Mr. ****.

Thank you so much for acknowledging our partnership proposal , be rest
assured that our chamber will offer you and your clients the best of
it's services professionally. Our chamber is highly respected by Ghana
citizens and foreigners because of our reliability, high commitments
and excellent performance towards discharging our legal duties, we
always fight for the right of our client to prevent them from been
cheated or intimidated by any body or organizations etc.
As I told you, All hope are not lost, we can work with you effectively
to enable you regain all that you have lost in the pass. This chamber
will give you necessary legal advise that will protect you and your
clients , provided you will always rely on us for legal advice.
Sir, in other for this chamber to serve you better, we would advise
that you shouldn't engage or involve in any transaction without our
knowledge because we would not account for any transaction that is
not recorded in our file, all your transaction most be recorded in our
file to enable this chamber verify it all before advising you properly
on how to go about it, if in case there is any criminal act then we
will have enough evidence to charge such client to court of law for
prosecution, and he/she will refund to you what ever you might have
spent with compensation.
There are allot of scammers in the world, mostly in the west Africa
countries' so therefore be very careful in your dealings, always seek
our concept and advise before involving in any transaction. This
chamber have good connection with this current government and we would
link you to the top officials of this administration so that your
business will go smoothly for you. We also work with UNHCR and AU to
promote and protect the life's of refugees and the less privileged
Africans.
Our experience's in banking laws and Financial Laws will help tackle
with the numerous problem you are facing in pulling money out of
Africa banks. Hesse & Hesse Chamber, help its foreign clients to
register their companies in Ghana for easy inflow and out flow of hard
currencies. Because of our professionalizing, our clients are
encourage to have a registered company in Ghana so that inflow and out
flow of case can not be traced by the IMF. Our chamber uses company
account to move huge sum’s of money in and out of Africa safely with
any problem or interrogations.
All your transfer will be done through your registered company
account, we shall advise you on how to register your company in Ghana
once you are ready. I will call you for more discussion soon.
Sir attach herein content my Identification and please kindly view those document to know who you are dealing with to avoid any mistake.

KINDLY READ MY PROFILE FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT MY CHAMBER.

Profile:

I Mr. David Andreas Hesse is a Ghanaian, born in Accra, Ghana in June,
1960. He is a graduate of the University of Ghana (LL.B Hons 1982)
and the Ghana School of Law (Qualifying Certificate in Professional
Law 1984). Mr. Hesse was admitted to practice in Ghana as
Barrister-at-Law and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana in 1984,
and Notary Public in 1996. He is also a graduate of the prestigious
Academy of American and International Law at the South-Western Legal
Foundation on the campus of the University of Texas at Dallas, Texas,
United States of America (1991) and the Wisconsin Institute for
International Legal Programs at the University of Wisconsin Law
School, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America (1994).
I Mr. Hesse is a Solicitor, Barrister-at-Law and Chief Executive
Officer of the Law Firm of HESSE & HESSE, one of the leading
Commercial Law Firms in Accra, Ghana, West-Africa. He is a member of
the International Bar Association, International Law Association,
World Jurists Association, World Intellectual Property Law Forum,
Commonwealth Lawyers Association, American Society of International
Law, Conference on Consumer Finance Law of United States of America,
America Chamber of Commerce (Ghana) and the Ghana Bar Association. He
is an Associate Member of the African Venture Capital Association, the
American Bar Association and the American Intellectual Property Law
Association where he serves on the prestigious Emerging
Technologies/Internet Committee of the latter Association. In
recognition of and appreciation for his contributions to the scholarly
activities and publications of the Center For International Legal
Studies, Austria, Mr. David A. Hesse was recently elected a Member of
the Congress of Fellows and Legal Scholars of the Centre for
International Legal Studies, Austria. In further recognition of his
outstanding achievements in the field of information and communication
technologies law, Mr. Hesse was recently appointed a member of the
International Legal Team for Intel Corporation.
Mr. Hesse has been a contributing author to a number of international
publications, including Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign
Judgments (published by Maxwell Publications, England 1993);
Structural Changes In the Banking Industry in West Africa (published
by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Accra, 1994), Trade Marks, Trade Names
and Unfair Competition: World Law and Practice (published by Sweet &
Maxwell Limited, England 1996); International Regulation of Banking
and Banks and The Control of Money Laundering (published by Carlton
Laws of the World Limited, England 1999) Doing Business in 2005:
Obstacles to Growth (published in September 2004 by the World Bank);
Doing Business In 2006: Creating Jobs (published in September, 2005 by
the World Bank); author of Short Notes on the Legal System, Economy
and Recent Financial Laws in Ghana (Consumer Finance Law of United
States of America, Quarterly Report, Vol.48 No. 1 of 1994); Survey of
International Sea Carriage Regimes in Ghana (published by Centre for
Maritime Policy now available on the Internet located at the Uniserve
Law International Commercial Law site); An Overview of the Copyright
Laws of Ghana (published in the 1996 Edition of the International
Intellectual Property Law Yearbook by John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 1996) and
Ship Registration in Ghana (published in the February 2004 Edition of
the Maritime Advocate).
Mr. Hesse is currently contributing a chapter on The Ghana Stock
Exchange & The Foreign Investor (for publication in the International
Financial Law Review 1000 as part of IFLR 1000 Clients' Guide to
Corporate Finance Legislation) and The Law and Practice of Foreign
Direct Investment in Ghana (for publication in the Foreign Investment
Law Journal of the International Centre for the Settlement of
Investment Disputes). He has been a featured speaker before various
groups on banking and corporate law organized by Friedrich Ebert
Stiftung, Accra, Ghana. Mr. Hesse is a member of the Board of
Governors of the Ghana Branch of the American Chamber of Commerce
Affiliations:
Member, International Bar Association; Member, International Law
Association; Member, World Jurists Association; Member, American
Society of International Law, and a Member of the Ghana Bar
Association.
Law Firm Overview:
Hesse & Hesse is a fully equipped commercial law firm composed of Two
(2) Partners and Seven (7) other Barristers. Hesse & Hesse is dynamic
and progressive, both in its thinking and in the way in which it is
building its practice as one of the largest and leading commercial law
firms in Ghana. Hesse & Hesse has an acknowledged reputation for
handling work of quality and substance in a pragmatic commercial
manner and at competitive billing rates. The Firm has extensive
connections in USA, Europe and South Africa and work with most major
law firms in these jurisdictions which require assistance of local
counsel in Ghana. The Firm places strong emphasis on professional
ethics, legal research, continuing education and training for all its
Partners, fee earners and support staff to enable them meet the
challenges and complexities of modern day Law practice. The Firm's
Lawyers, who are dynamic, progressive and innovative have the sole aim
of efficiently and professionally providing solutions to their
clients'' problems
Experience:
Mr. Hesse is the author of numerous articles and legal papers,
specifically relevant to Ghana. They include Structural Changes in the
Banking Industry in Ghana, 1994, Short Notes on the Legal System,
Economy and Recent Financial Laws in Ghana, Survey of International
Sea Carriage Regimes in Ghana and An Overview of the Copyright Laws of
Ghana, 1996. He is currently also contributing chapters on Legal
Aspects of Ghana's Stock Exchange (Comparative Law Yearbook of
International Business, England) and The Law and Practice of Foreign
Direct Investment in Ghana (Foreign Investment Law Journal of the
International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes). He
has been a featured speaker at various banking and corporate law
functions organized by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Accra.

Forward to us the list of your transaction so we can start keeping
our records and verification.
Kindly furnish us your direct telephone contact for easy communications.
Our many clients will testify of our excellent performance and we are
heading to the future to accomplish yours as well.
Expecting your reply.
Regards,
Barr.Hesse A. David (ESQ)
Tell : +233snip

I wrote and told them my tale of woe. I didn't lose any money, but the consignmet that was to be deliverd, never arrived.

Quote:

Dear Mr David,

I have not lost anything up to this point except the failure of the delivery of a consignment. A diplomat was at the LA International Airport with a consignment. Due to his faulty cell phone, he did not acknowledge the tag fee and he never picked it up, or delivered my consignment. He has my phone number and has not called me back from his phone. Can you help me?

As mentioned in my last email, this is to be on a contingency basis only with payment upon recovery.

I tease him with the smell of money. My gold mine is to be restarted.

Quote:

Dear Mr David,

I thought you would like a few pictures of the dredge restoration at the gold mine. As you can see the structure is being restored. The equipment inside needs considerable restoration before it becomes operational again.. I took these pictures just a couple weeks ago. I'll be back to the mine this weekend to check on the progress.

I included some photos of some mine dredge equipmet that was shut down in the 1950's and is now a museum, so some stuff has a recent paint job.

Ah, yes, the point to contact the bank is initiated.

Quote:

Dear Mr. ****

How are you doing today? i hope you are fine, sir thank once more for your attention and responding me as quick as possible, i also want to thanks you for those picture and the others information's about.

Sir i have contacted the bank this morning and i also instruct the bank to contact you and give you all the necessary details needed to enable them start the transfer of your fund across to your receiver bank in any part of the world, i believe you will receive a notification from the Eco bank Tema main branch Accra before end of the day and please kindly forward every information you may receive from the bank in future to my notice for proper verification, before advising you what to do, please kindly reply with your telephone number for easy communications.

I am looking forward to hear from you with every information you may receive from Africa.

Regard.

Barr. David A Hesse

A google search found the real bank branch. Included are the real bank email, phone, fax, etc. Later I get an email from the bank. The contact info is different.. Not even the same area code.

I noted in the time zone they wrote at about midnight their time. I give a hint of trouble brewing for impostors.. Security is a good thing, right? I give them my GV phone number.

Quote:

Do you know it is almost midnight? Go home. I can't have you sleeping at your desk in the morning.

Due to the nature of my business, I rarely carry my cell, so calls and text messages are collected. My business is conducted by 2 way radio as cell service is very poor in the mountains. Email is best except for bank details which are best sent along secure channels.

Tech
Cell (541) Snip

Home (360) Snip

On the subsequent phone call, I mixed him with another bait with a diplomat at the airport with a MJ phone. He called me with a MJ phone so I assumed at first it was my diplomat with a consignment. Oops.. Embarassed

I follow up with the bank and proudly let him know I took care with security.

Quote:

Mr David Hesse,

Thank you for the lovely conversation. Sorry about the confusion about LAX airport. Between your late night email and a shipper arriving at midnight here, I got the two of you mixed up.

I sent the bank a fax as that is much more secure than email. Thank you for helping me find the right branch online to find the fax number. I started a file on this to keep it separate from my other correspondence.

I sent the fax to Dr. Koffi Addo to open an account in my name. I should hear back from him tomorrow.

Branch area: Tema
Branch: Tema Main
Address: Ground floor, Meridian Plaza, Community 1
tel.: (233) 0303 2010536/ 4
fax.: (233) 0303 201057
email: [email protected]
P.O. box: co 3207 Tema

Again thanks for your help.

No reply. Is suspect this one is done.

I'll poke him later to see how my case is going.

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 6:36 pm

The saga continues. Not sure if this is the same lad, but I have on occasion been getting letters in my spam account from the bank named in this bait.

If the bank wants to play, I'll play.

It starts with one that might not be related to the lawyer, or it might be a cold call spam.

Hello Dear Beneficiary,

Before I commence I will like to explain myself to you, my name is Rev Dr Favour Okeke the new director officer of Eco bank Benin Republic Plc West African, my dear, I want to use this opportunity to inform you that I am now the director and it have not been a month now, so I went through the scheme of work of this honourable bank and find out that your name and your fund valued $5.5 million dollars was here for six months.

So it amaze me so much and then I went to the office of IMF office Benin and reported this to them to know what is their aim and they told me that bank former director Mr John Chukwuemeka was the one that curse all this he collect money for peoples and then refuse to wired their fund to them, so my dear the Lord I serve will not allow such to happen here in my seat, so I hereby to declear to you now to get us your full information so that your fund will be wired into your account immediately without wasting time, I do not like betraying people and no one will do such to me. And i want you to understand that you will send our transfer fee of $50 usd with this information bellow through Western union or MoneyGram with this name.

Reciever's name..............Ikechukwu Obeche
Country......................Benin Republic.
City.................Cotonou.
Text Question...................Honest?
Answer......................Trust.
Amount..............$50 usd.
Mtcn no................
sender's name................

This is what we needed from you now so that your fund will be wired through this bank immediately, email address;([email protected]) And you can call me +229 9895 4729.Please make sure that you send your information complete so that there will be no mistake in transferring your total fund.

Your account number========
Name of bank===========
Bank address============
Bank user name==========
Routing number==========
Home address============
Copy of id==============
Your phone number==========
Your occupation ============

Once you forward this to this bank I assure you that you will receive your fund within 44hrs

Rev Dr Favour Okeke
CALL +229 989 54729
Eco bank director general

This spam appears to be an unrelated Ecobank spam, but it kept me from opening a bunch of Ecobank items in my spam folder. When cleaning out the folder later, I found the newer ones have my name attached. The name has changed too.

From the desk of Dr. Koffi Addo
Dir,Foreign remittance and
chief financial consultant
Eco bank Ghana.

Attention Mr. Me

I am pleased to write you this message from our database to notify you of
a deposited fund in your favor with our bank ( Eco bank Ghana ) I herein
confirm once more that your fund in turn of $5 million USD is currently
in a dormant domiciliary account with our bank waiting for onward wire
transfer to your nominated bank account in any part of the glob after you
have open an account with our bank. Also Barrister David A. Hesse as been
linked with the legal assignment of this transfer and he as been
communicating with our bank to ensure the transfer reaches you ASAP.

Be inform that the Ecobank Ghana will begin the transfer of this said
amount to you once you have set up a non-residential online account with
our bank,your online account will be active for use within 24 hours after
you have open it.
Attach herein contain our online application form, kindly fill the form
and return it back for we to have your complete information to open your
online account and our bank also need a copy of your international
passport or driver licence .

With our online account, you can personally transfer funds from your
account to any other account by your self from the internet. we can also
issue you a master credit card which will connected to your account.

All this will be achieved once we have open the account on your name.

Please be inform that you be will forward the minimum initial deposit to
open your online account with our bank.
Our minimum initial deposit is $300 USD only.
Your online account will be created within 24 hours and you can use it for
immediate fund transfer to your foreign bank account by your self.

This is the most convenient and easier means of transferring monies from
Africa to any part of the world.

Our bank is looking forward to hear from you soonest, so that we can serve
you effectively.

ALL REPLIES TO : [email protected]

I will appreciate you call me on my line for more details.

Thank you

Dr. Koffi Addo.
Foreign remittance and
chief financial consultant
Eco Bank Ghana Tema main Branch Accra.
Tell:+233247644241

Attached is a one page account opening form. The real form online is 4 pages long.

And he gets impatient.

From the desk of Dr. Kofi Addo
Director,Foreign remittance and
chief financial consultant
Eco bank Ghana.

Dear valued costumer

Mr. Me,

This is to remind you of your need to comply with our earlier outline of
the procedure that was given to you to follow in other for you to receive
your approved funds from our bank.

You could have receive your total amount of $5 million from our bank
before today if not for your silent towards our earlier plans put together
by my board of directors in regard of your fund transfer.
We have send couples of reminder to barrister David Hesse over this, and
he promise to reach you before now, but to my greatest surprise we have
not hear or receive any message from any of you till now.
What happen? Why do you kept silent? Your urgent respond is highly needed
so that I can forward you all the legal papers that cover your transfer.
Please be inform that the currently government is about to show interest
in your money, they will have it transfer into the government account if
proper and urgent arrangement is not made to move the fund from our bank
to your foreign bank before this month run off.

All reply .....: [email protected]

I will appreciate you call me on my line for more details.
Our bank is looking forward to hear from you soon, so that i can serve you
effectively.

Sincerely.

Dr. Koffi Addo
Head of foreign remittance and
Chief Excutive Managing Director
Eco bank Tema main branch Accra Ghana.
Tell: +233247644241.

A strange thing has happened; The street address of the main branch has changed. This one used my bait name, so it is more than just spam. I shoot off a brief reply and ask if I have the right branch.

From the desk of Dr. Kofi Addo
Dir,Foreign remittance and
chief financial consultant
Eco bank Ghana.

Dear Valued Costumer.
Mr.Tech

This is to acknowledge the receipt of your e-mail correspondence whose
content is well understood, sir i am sorry for my delay, please accept my
apology and below is my bank address.

ECOBANK GHANA LIMITED
community 6, Verstical,
Hospital Road, Tema Main branch.
P.O.BOX 3207
Accra Ghana.

Sir endeavor to write us back with the on-line appreciation form and the
payment of the $300USD so that we can set up the on-line account on your
name to enable the start the transfer of your fund on-line OK.

ALL REPLIES TO : [email protected]
I will appreciate you call me on my line for more details.

Thank you

Dr. Kofi Addo.
Foreign remittance and
chief financial consultant
Eco Bank Ghana Tema main Branch Accra.
Tell:+233247644241

I went ahead and opened an account. It was much simpler to do online. Since I had some trouble with the branch name and the new address, it felt safer to simply use the forms online and fax them in.

It is interesting that the verified location of the main branch in Tema has moved..
Remember the real verified location was at this address;
Branch area: Tema
Branch: Tema Main
Address: Ground floor, Meridian Plaza, Community 1

I have taken to opportunity to open the account at ecobank. The online form was not difficult to obtain, fill out and fax back. Thank you for pointing me to the Deed of Indemnity Form (Compulsory). You did not mention that I needed that too, but it is compulsory for a personal account. That is also completed and faxed back. If you need a colour photo for the form instead of simply the fax, I can mail you a copy of my passport photo.

Now that I have an account, what is needed next?

I am looking forward to seeing this completed at the soonest.

Me

I'll see if this ends here.

Rolling Eyes

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