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Net Fraudsters

With the progress of mankind the old Conman is upto his old tricks, adapting New-world Technology and turning out New Wine in Old Bottles. Well, it is time that you geared up your Alert Systems so that you don’t fall prey to the Conman using the platform of Cybercrime to take you for a ride.

Personal Experience

Every week I get e-mails announcing news of strange windfalls and treasures bequeathed by unknown people from strange lands like Ivory Coast (usually) and Malaysia who don’t even know my name. Stranger are the twice a week lotteries announcing me as The Winner of 750-Thousand British Pounds, usually channeled through popular e-mail companies. More than your personal particulars they are interested in collecting your Bank and Credit Card details! They use various sugar-coated pills to get inside your systems. Till date I have been bequeathed Billions in US$ and UK-Pound Sterlings by that perpetual Cancer-afflicted woman in her 50s/ Orphaned teenaged girl/ Towering dowager left behind by deceased Business Magnate/ Retired Business Tycoon and so on. Some want to transfer their sparkling treasures and sticky dough through their Attorneys and Barristers while some want to hand over directly, provided I invest it in Charity, keeping 30% for myself. The orphaned girl wanted me to be her guardian till completion of her education and reaching 21-years. All the while I could enjoy proceeds from her late father’s Investment Business. The dowager wanted me to help noble Christians as her Chosen One!

Safe Modus Operandi

The safest way out is to delete all such mails without opening it for fear of Trojan Worms/Virus. This is what I normally do although I have a safe pack of Anti-Virus Software. Sometimes I go through the sob-story just to see what novel yarn they are spinning to entice the victim. Fake lotteries are rampant and they usually use the goodwill and repute of established websites and e-mail companies like Google, Yahoo, MSN, Hotmail etc. Other popular names are Cellphone Brand Leaders, ex-US Presidents, Film celebrities and even British Royalty. Don’t get duped, simply delete all such incoming mails before you get trapped in their spider-web and gossamer yarn.

A Novel Experience

The other day I was surprised to get one SMS at 2.00am in the night, announcing that I’ve won US$-1,000,000 ! There was an e-mail address which was to be contacted for claiming the prize. Next morning I received an e-mail stating that I have won 750-Thousand UK-Pounds from Wahoo-Lottery, giving Reference Number and Prize Winning Y-Grotto (name changed) Ticket Numbers. They asked me to contact with Personal Particulars and Bank Details. I somehow mistook this e-mail to be the same as the Mobile SMS. When I asked the e-mail address to reveal their bonafides, there was no reply. Then upon checking the Mobile SMS I found out that the e-mail given was different. So I went ahead and claimed the Prize of US$-1,000,000. Whoa! there came a big letter with the logo of a reputed UK-Bank, Bat-East (name changed), claiming that the Compensation Scheme was funded by no other than ex-Prez Kill Blinton (name changed) and was under the “umbrella” of US-Government. Quite impressive. The prize was for my Lucky Mobile Number which figured in a Worldwide Mobile Lottery. So cute, my Mobile Number, that is. I had to contact the remittance-officer with personal details, (no bank references) and the prize will come romping home in 72-hours flat.

Twist In The Tale

After my reply went, this weirdo letter comes. It mentioned that the US-UK Dollar (new Currency approved by Cyber fraudsters) of 1,000,000 will come in a Diplomatic Packet through US-UK Diplomatic Channel, carried by a Diplomat to Delhi or Mumbai Airport. It had to be released with a payment of Rs.45,000/- as Duty, otherwise the packet will remain a “Security Problem” (will it explode?) at the Airport. I had to re-confirm details already given and ask for further clarifications, if any. This set me wondering if the Mobile Lottery fraudsters and the Wahoo-Lottery gang were in connivance. They were aiming at an alternative method of success, if one failed. Naturally I told them that I wasn’t interested in buying a Prize for a Price. Immediately I shot an e-mail saying that the matter stands cancelled ab initio.

Conclusion

I have already contacted the City Cyber Crime Branch mentioning the details for probable investigation and alerting unwary net-users. I hope that this article will enlighten Triond Readers about the latest trends of Fake Net Lotteries and their modus operandi. Warning: Never, repeat, Never reveal your Bank details. Surf the net and avoid Net fraudsters.