African scam - Buy from you for Katrina

[Margaret Diann]

Well, this is an new version of the Nigerian money scam ... eventually it should lead to "What is your bank account number so I may deposit funds after purchasing _____" What would be the case instead, most likely is access to your account to steal money FROM you.

Well, that's what I'm guessing.

This was the e-mail early hours this AM:

Urgent!
10/1/05, DOHERTY MAXWELL < ----- @yahoo.com> wrote:
Do you still have the mobile homes,mail me fast because i want to buy it as a philantropic idea the affected in the hurricane Cathrina.mail me soonest.


----------------------------------
Yahoo! for Good
Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

This was my reply and then theirs:

Hello,i'm buying the one for $27,500 but am presently attending a Seminar on AIDS in West Africa,elsei would come for it i person.I'm representing an influential group consisting of myself.reply me ur info(or what terms of payment do you think is convenient for you)reply soonest.
Doherty.

I replied CASH - and 'What do you plan to do with the trailer?"

I just noticed that the link to redcross.org is not that website. It looks like that website, but just prior to that coming up ... there is a redirect.

I do that on my BnB site. www.blessinghouse.com is actually whatever I put at this site: http://home.gci.net/~blessing/

Notice also that their spelling and capitalization is off. That is also another 'clue' that it might be a scammer ... and isn't the rule, never really believe e-mails that come to you unsolicitied? This is a good hook, I bet they catch a lot of money for themselves. Bastards!

Well, I'm going to alert the Alaska State Realtors group ... as they will be getting such e-mails ... and so will the individual Realtors in your State

I think it should be reported to the FBI or someone else, too; but I don't know who that contact would be. Yahoo should be alerted:

http://store.yahoo.com/redcross-donate3/ is the fake www.redcross.org
Most of it looks the same; but they had to change something - like who gets the money!

[82Rigger]

Best places to report money scams are

Federal Trade Commission

www.ftc.gov


Internet Crime Complaint Center

www.ic3.gov

The second one is backed by the FBI.

[QM3steve]

These scams come in several different ways. "Phishing" is the term used for the use of bogus e-mails to get personal information. I ocassionally get one from someone who would like me to be a coorespondant for them in the United States. These are usually somewhat well written and from a person claiming to be from a third world country. Bogus emails can also be sent to the actual website. In other words, most legitimate organizations have a group that investigates these e-mails.