Interview with a Scam Artist
// september 29th, 2009 // Reacties uitgeschakeld // www.Scams
After my previous journey scanning the web for PTR-scam sites my e-mail address has appearantly landed in a network of scam artists. I received 100’s of emails from different continents from people offering me money. I’ve noticed to differences in these mails. Most of them just offer you a way of making a lot of money by investing. There are some that have more complicated stories, such as a long lost uncle that died without a will. These are the scam artists that you actually don’t want to get involved with, because it’s not funny at all. Most of them WILL get you your money, plus a lot of trouble with your signature on it. Here’s how it works.
The Letter from Mr. Hong Wu
Recently I received an e-mail from a certain Mr. Hong Wu. A very kind and generous man. Why generous? Well, Mr. Hong Wu offered me a once in a lifetime opportunity! I could make, fairly easy, $ 15.000.000,-! After kindly introducing himself, claiming to be a very big deal at the Bank Of China, he explains:
In June, 2002, a certain British Crude oil merchant (Mr.Martin Walker) came to our bank and made a Fixed (Numbered) deposit of Thirty Million United State Dollars (US$30,000,000.00) Only in my branch for 12 calender months. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. A month later, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers, the Chinese Solid Minerals Corporation that he died from an automobile accident. On further investigation, I found out that he died without making a WILL, and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless.
Furthermore, Mr. Hong Wu states that he is the only one knowing about this deposit. And, being the good samaritan that he is, he wants to share it with me!
What bothers me most is that according to Laws of Republic of China, at the expiration of seven {7} years the funds will revert to the ownership of the Chinese Government if nobody applies to claim the funds.
Well, after such touching words offcourse he caught my interest – or did he?
What comes around, goes around.
What I’m going to point out in this article is that the technique and the lies that Mr. Hong Wu use are far from brilliant, but it’s understandable why people fell - and still fall – for it. The technique Mr. Hong Wu use are simple selling techniques: create needs, involve a little bit of mystery, act interested and understanding, and once the fish bites – which is me in this case – insert some subtle pressure so the deal can be sealed quickly - by the way, I don’t have fins and can’t breath underwater.
Because Mr. Hong Wu’s style of writing is much more intellectual than the average scam artist, I decided to reply on his e-mail, to see how far I can push him. And I got far enough.
Don’t understand me wrong Mr. Hong Wu. But this business deal seems quite unrealistic. We’ve all heard of the scam artists that try to trick you in a certain way, even though I don’t see the trick here. Because the sum of $ 15.000.000 sounds very attractive, I have a couple of questions before we proceed. Why exactly did you choose me as your business partner? And how did you find my e-mail address? Is there any way that you can identify yourself as actually being the owner of the bank you mention in your email?
And this is where the understanding starts. In his reply Mr. Hong Wu actually doesn’t answer any of my questions - even though he does identify himself - instead he tries soothing me with all sorts of compliments.
Mr. Hong Wu's Identity Card, is that the best he could do!?
Please accept my deepest apology for contacting you in this manner over a transaction of this magnitude, but because I am very desperate to have this funds transferred to a safe location, I salute your courage in helping a man who is sincerely in need of your help.
In his reply he keeps pointing to the fact that he HAS TO know everything about me. Even if I have children, which is quite scary actually – what would he want with my children? He even states that the reason why he approached me was because I fit the profile.
I am making this contact with you based on reliable information available to me courtesy of internet business index and confirmed by our local chambers of commerce and industry concerning your reputation.
A once in a lifetime opportunity
So it is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I mean, he wouldn’t approach me if he didn’t have all that information from all those places with difficult names, right? After reading thru his e-mail I notice he uses a lot of HAVE TO’s and ASAP’s, which proofs my next point: Mr. Hong Wu has now moved on to applying pressure. Lots of pressure. When I reply by sending him some fake information about myself – I’m pretending to be a 30-year-old German guy, single and working at the local convenient store, poor guy – Mr. Wu is actually getting quite offensive. My reply:
I appreciate your quick reply. What is it you actually mean by “you will invest your money into this transaction before it will be successful”?
I filled in the information you require. I didn’t supply a phone number or any form of direct contact. Because I’m still – I hope you understand – a little suspicious about this project as a whole.
Please give me more information about how we proceed in this venture. So i can see if it’s trustworthy. I understand it is a once in a lifetime offer, but I don’t want to get mixed up in any kind of unusual business. Although you seem to know what you’re talking about. Please provide me more information. It would be much appreciated.
Less than fifteen minutes later I found a reply in my Inbox from Mr. Wu:
I believe i have provided information that will aneble you trust me and proceed on this project but if you dont find it okay to proceed please delete my email from your email, i have nothing more to explain as time is not on my side.
Judging from the reply, Mr. Wu has changed personalities. Instead of being the educated and patient banking guy, he turned into the average scam artist: with lots of spelling mistakes (’aneble’) and using hillbilly-language (’delete my email from your email’). Pointing out that he lost patience and this is just a pathetic last attempt to push me into doing business. We both understand I’m not going into business with him anymore. What he was looking for was a simple person, easy of trust.
Conclusion
Lots of people fell for these scams. These networks work in a variety of ways. Usually it involves signing paperwork, which gives you all the responsibility over the money you are going to receive. It’s like a druglord asking you to store some of his goods, for a reward. They get their money, even though your name is on it. It doesn’t matter where the money comes from, it’s yours. They’ll continue living the good life with the money that officially – and sadly enough – is yours and you’ll end up in jail.
My name is Daan van den Bergh and I'm a webdesign- and modern technology-enthusiast.
