It even comes through Skype now. I cannot believe that there are still enough people in the world soft enough in the head to fall for this type of scam but there must be as there are still idiots trying it.
Anything that turns up in email, chat client, VoIP client, fax machine or even a letter through the letterbox that looks or sounds like this is a scam. Simple. Trash it.
What came to me was this:
[23/01/2008 4:22:08 PM] Tim McCarron says: Asset Managment Plan
I am Mr.Tim McCarron, a freelance independent Investment Funds Manager for Fidelity Investment International.The World Largest Funds Management Company with over $1.2Trillion Capital Investment Funds.Nevertheless , as Fidelity Funds Manager, I handle all our Investor’s Direct Capital Funds and my position afforded me the opportunity to secure 1.2% Excess Maximum Return Capital Profit (EMRCP) per annum on each of the Investor’s Magellan Capital Funds.
As the fund manager skilled in Database Management and Administration, I was able to make over 25m pounds from the Investor’s EMRCP via Online Trade Investment and hereby looking for someone to trust who will stand as an Investor to receive the funds as Annual Investment Proceeds from Fidelity Magellan Capital Funds.All confirmable documents to back up the claims will be made available to you in the cause of this transaction.
Meanwhile,I have worked out the strategies and technicalities whereby the funds can be claimed in any of our 6 Clearing Houses without hitches.Our sharing ratio will be 50-50 in case you are interested,Please email me on my private email below, your direct telephone number for discussion of this transaction in further details.
Sincerely.
Mr. Tim Mc Carron (MSDBA, OCP, ISO)
For: Funds Manager of Fidelity
Investment International
Email: timmc11201970@yahoo.com
www.fidelity.co.uk/wealthmanager/fundmanagercvs/pdfs/TMcCarron
Now – if the Fidelity link is clicked then you do go through the Fidelity, but to a page that does not exist. That is, it is missing from Fidelity’s server.
So, how do you go about testing the veracity of an email like this, after all, we’d all like 50% of 25m pounds now wouldn’t we? Well, let’s use Thomo’s four point check!
OK, check number 1.
The English. “I am Mr.Tim McCarron.” There are not many people who would introduce themselves that way in the UK, US, Australia or any English speaking developed country.
Check number 2. Genuine Appearance. To appear genuine, scams like this will have a web URL, in this case, http://www.fidelity.co.uk etc etc. Following that link will take you to Fidelity UK’s website but the full link indicates a missing webpage.
Check number 3. Commonsense. Who in their right mind is going to offer you 50% of 25m pounds to just receive money? Hel-lo! Wakey, wakey!
And best, Check number 4. Google. If it ain’t in Google it doesn’t exist. Well, that’s how it seems to me so let’s check Google. This particular text is reasonably new but still in Google there were a couple of links, one already indicating it was a 419 Nigerian scam. Go on, try it. Cut and paste “I am Mr.Tim McCarron, a freelance independent Investment Funds Manager for Fidelity Investment International”, the first sentence above (no need to use the quotes), into Google search. You’ll see something like the search results displayed if you click here. One of the links displayed, http://www.repository.izone.me.uk/repository.pl?action=search&month=May&year=2007&type=business, indicates that this particular text has been used for scams since May 2007, and this page lists hundreds and hundreds of scam texts – er, and that page is only listing those from May 2007. MSN Search and Yahoo Search will turn up the same results – although Yahoo tends to be a little on the slow side.
So, get smart. Check out those strange things first. Don’t be soft in the head!
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