I’m not exactly sure about the reson for the recent exposion of new kinds of iscams in my inbasket. Either there is a new croud of iscammers, or I have been sloppy when updating my Mail.app Junk filter.
Richard Dewar is a new name to me, and his mail is one of the classic ”I discovered an abandoned account” setups. The prose is much better than in most of these mails, and the story of Swissair Flight 111, is in fact true. In fact, if I didn’t get som many of these mails, and if the email address hadn’t been one of my spam traps that get no other mail other than spam and iscam propositions, I would have looked closer at this mail. As it is, there is no doubt in my mind that it is nothing but another iScam.
From: ”RICHARD DEWAR” richdewar23@mail.az
To: [a spam/scam trap address]
Subject: GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA
Reply-To: richdewar22@mail.azGreetings
How are you and your family I hope that you are all okay? I
want to ask you, If you are not capable to quietly look for
a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to
provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new
Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty
a/c can serve to receive this money, as long as you
will remain honest to me till the end for this important
business trusting in you and believing in God that you will
never let me down either now or in future.
I am the Auditor in charge of international transaction in
one of the biggest bank here in South Africa. During the
course of our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an
account opened in the bank in 1996 and since 1998 nobody
has operated on this account again, after going through
some old files in the records I discovered that the owner
of the account died without a [Heir/WILL] hence the money
is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently
it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account
Mr. Victor Ratnavale a British, who unfortunately lost his
life in the plane crash of Swiss Air Flight Number 111
which crashed on 2nd September 1998, including his wife.
You shall readmore news about the crash on visiting this
site;
http:http://www.newscotland1398.net/lunenco/swissbaysw.html.No other person knows about this account or any thing
concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my
investigation proved to me as well that the account is a
secret account.The total amount involve is Eighteen million Six Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars only [$18,600,000.00] and we
wish to transfer this money into a safe foreigners account
abroad. But I don’t know any foreigner, I am only
contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be
approved to a local person here, but to a foreigner who has
information about the account, which I shall give to you
upon your positive response. I am revealing this to you
with believe in God that you will never let me down in this
business, you are the first and the only person that I
am contacting for this business, so please reply urgently
so that I will inform you the next step to take urgently.I need your strong assurance that you will never let us
down, me and a key bank official who is deeply involved
with me in this business. I guarantee that this transaction
will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law. I will destroy all documents of transaction
immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any
place. I will use my position and influence to obtain all
legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to your
account with appropriate clearance from the relevant
ministries and foreign exchange departments.At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 30%
of the total amount, 70% will be for us. Further details
awaits your earliest reply. PLEASE, TREAT THIS PROPOSAL AS
TOP SECRET. I expect your response of interest through my
private e mail address. This is a confidential and private.
I wait immediate response.Best Regards,
Richard Dewar