Scamming the Scammers
IRONWOOD, MI - Monday, January 05, 2009 - Last month, this reporter was almost a victim of a Nigerian Email/Internet Scam. In my email inbox I received a "job offer" from Royal Arts, Ltd. The company was seeking a "reliable" person to handle financial transactions between Royal Arts, Ltd. and its clients. In exchange for assisting with the transactions, the employee (victim) will receive 10% of every dollar exchanged. The way the scam works is relatively simple. The company's clients send the employee checks and/or money orders. The employee is to immediately deposit the funds. Once the funds are deposited into the employee's bank account, the employee is to withdraw the funds, go to Western Union and send the money (less the employee's expenses and his 10% commission) to the company's supplier.
In my previous article on the subject, I explained what happened in my case. In short, I received a deceptively realistic $1,900 money order drawn from the Pluswood Credit Union in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I contacted the Credit Union to confirm what I already knew -- the money order was bogus. I sent the document to the Credit Union, but I decided to play a little game with "my employer." I sent Royal Arts, Ltd. an email stating that I received the check and that I forwarded the funds, via Western Union, to the supplier in China as instructed.
Yesterday morning I received a series of emails from a Mr. Kelvin Woods of Royal Arts. The following messages were emails that went back and forth between Woods and myself.
Woods: Hi James," the first email stated, "I just contacted Western Union and I was told money is not available from the number you gave to me. Please kindly resend the MTCN let me verify with Western Union. I await your email.
Albert: "Will do!"
Woods: Do you have the routing number?
Albert: Yes!
Woods: What is it?
Albert: It's the number Western Union uses to verify if funds are legitimate or not.
Woods: I need you to verify the number.
Albert: Go ahead!
Realizing he wasn't getting anywhere with me, he asked me in an email to send him my telephone number. Within minutes, my phone rang. On the other end of the line was a man with a very thick Nigerian accent. The man asked that I go on Yahoo! Messenger to finish our conversation. So I agreed because the emails were getting a bit stale.
I saved the dialog from our Yahoo! Messenger conversation to share with the readers of the Chronicle. This is what happened:
NOTE: Comments in parentheses were added for clarity.
Albert: Hello.
Woods: There is difficulty receiving the money.
Albert: Why?
Woods: Please confirm the full sender name you used.
Albert: Meiyu Du. (This was the name of the individual in China I was instructed to send the funds to.}
Woods: I mean your full name.
Albert: James P. Albert.
Woods: Please confirm the MTCN again. (The MTCN number is Western Unions routing number.)
Albert: I just sent you a copy of the Western Union receipt.
Woods: It was not clear, i can not view it. The letters are too blurring. (sic)
Albert: Hold on. I have to look.
Woods: OK. Please make sure it is correct this time.
Albert: Where are you located?
Woods: You sent the money to China.
Albert: But where are you? 760-850-7447. (This was the bogus MTCN number I sent to Woods.)
Woods: I am in the UK.
Albert: Why am I sending the money to China then?
Woods: That's where we get our raw materials from.
Albert: Oh. Why did the money order come from Oshkosh, WI then?
Woods: That's where the customer lives.
Albert: Oh. When will I receive my next check?
Woods: Do you get it right now?
Albert: No. When will I get the next check?
Woods: Please can you call Wester(n) Union to confirm if the money is available to be picked (up) in China?
Albert: Yes. Can you do me a favor?
Woods: What?
Albert: Can you send me some money until I get my next check? I am calling Western Union now. Hold on. I have to talk to Western Union.
I paused for several minutes while I looked up Western Union's toll free number. I then called the company to alert them of the situation. I gave them the bogus MTCN number I gave to my "employer" so that they could verify that he was calling.
Albert: You there?
Woods: I am here.
Albert: According to Western Union, the funds are available now in China.
Woods: What did they ask for to confirm?
Albert: The MTCN number. So Kelvin, can you send me a little advance on my future earnings?
Woods: How much?
Albert: Well, I need $20,000 to help pay for a kidney transplant.
Woods: OK.
Albert: When can you send the money?
Woods: How do you want me to send it?
Albert: Can you send me a check?
Woods: Yes.
Albert: You have my home address?
Woods: Yes.
Albert: Thank-you. Let me know when you get the money I had sent to China okay?
Woods: OK.
Woods: How many receipts you got from Western Union?
Albert: Just that one.
Woods: I am confused. You sent the money? Because its not showing up on the site.
Albert: I sent the money. I just called Western Union.
Woods: Give me the number you called, the Western Union.
Albert: Hold on.
This was a great opportunity. When you call a toll free number, the business automatically gets your telephone number. They are entitled to that information since they are the ones paying for the call. As soon as my "employer" calls Western Union, they will have his phone number and may be able to track him down to prosecute him.
Albert: 1-800-325-6000.
Woods: And did you speak to an online representative?
Albert: I spoke to the operator that answered the phone.
Woods: You an automated machine?
Albert: No, I am a human being.
I couldn't resist the sarcasm. I think he wanted to know if I dealt with an automated machine when I called Western Union.
Woods: OK. Rescan the Western Union receipt now so that I can view it.
Albert: If I rescan it and you bring it to them, they can give you the money. Hold on.
Woods: Just scan it so that I can view it. I can't view the first one.
Albert: Hold on that's what I am doing.
Woods: OK.
Albert: So is it cold in the UK?
Woods: Yes
Woods: Am waiting the scanned copy now.
Albert: We had snow all night here. You there? Get it?
Woods: I am here.
Albert: How soon can you send me that advance? You didn't sound like you had a British accent on the phone.
Woods: LOL. ("LOL" or "lol" is an Internet abbreviation for "laughing out loud.") I am a business man, I am not a briton (sic).
Albert: Where are you from? If you bring that receipt to the Western Union office they will verify it for you.
Woods: OK. You will get your next payment tomorrow
Albert: How long have you been with this Royal Arts Company? Where is the payment coming from?
Woods: I will let you know by email tomorrow.
Albert: Good.
Woods: How many days does check sit at your bank?
Albert: I was wondering if it would be better to have the money directly wired to my account from now on. My bank and I get along well because I keep such a large balance in my account.
I was trying to bait Woods to see how he would react.
Woods: For now we will be sending check. Like how much can you cash out immediately from your bank?
Albert: I use my business account so I can cash just about any amount.
Woods: Up to 9 thousand a day?
Albert: Even more if I needed to.
Woods: I hope the money is available in China. And if not that will terminate our business relationship.
Albert: If you start sending me larger amounts, will my percentage increase?
Woods: Yes to 20%.
Albert: It will be available.
Woods: But we have to be sure you are capable.
Albert: I can cash as much as you need. This is legal right?
Woods: Yes very.
Albert: Can I get in trouble for this?
Woods: No. You will be happy we recruit(ed) you.
Albert: I have several business accounts so I could cash more each day if you want. Does this help your company?
Woods: Which phone number did you use on the Western Union form?
Albert: I only have one phone number.
Woods: Hold. I'm checking the money on Western Union.
Albert: Okay.
Woods: Hold. There is no money available.
Even though the man is a crook, I still felt a slight bit of guilt, so I decided to come clean. I told him what I did.
Albert: Guess what Kelvin... I called the Pluswood Credit Union that supposedly issued the money order you wanted me to cash... and they said it was counterfeit. That's why I didn't send your "customer" in China the money. That sounds fair, doesn't it?
Woods: Then where did you get the receipt?
Albert: From Western Union.
Woods: Why would Western Union give you a receipt without sending money?
Well, since the man refused to believe that I was scamming him, I decided to continue with it, after all, he was trying to steal money from me!
Albert: You're right, I sent the money.
Woods: Then what happened?
Albert: Call Western Union.
Woods: When did you send money and when did you call?
Albert: It's all on the receipt. What happens to the $1,600 I took out of my account?
Woods: Which 1600?
Albert: The money I used to send the Western Union to China.
Woods: You mean the 92 dollars?
Albert: That's for the charges to Western Union. What happened to the money I sent to China?
Woods: If my supplier get the money, I can resend by Western Union.
Albert: Okay. Kelvin, do you know what "PING" is?
Woods: Maybe you have been pinging me?
Albert: Do you know what that means?
Woods: No.
Albert: When you PING somebody you can instantly find their IP address and find out who you are chatting with online. Did you know that you can do that?
Woods: OK, so tell me my location.
Albert: It's kind of neat hey?
Woods: OK, so tell me my location.
Albert: And did you know that when you call Western Union's toll free number they automatically have the number you called from stored on their system? That's neat too hey!
Woods: Sorry, (I) am smart(er) than that, OK! All number and ip address you got belongs to a business center. So can you beat that?
Albert: Oh, did you press *67 before you called Western Union?
Woods: Have a nice time! Take care!
Albert: Kelvin, so will you be sending me a check tomorrow?
Woods: F**K OFF. (Expletive removed.)
Albert: Kelvin, do you eat with that mouth? Shame on you for using such foul language. So how cold is it in England today?
Although he didn't sign off of Yahoo! Messenger, he didn't respond again.
Albert: Hello Kelvin, are you there? I hope this doesn't affect our business relationship!
Although I had a little fun with my Nigerian Email Scammer, I strongly suggest that everybody stays clear of these people. They are ruthless people that are only out to steal your money. If you get emails promising you great wealth or fantastic jobs clearing funds, do the right thing... call the police and report them.