FBI Compensation of US$15 Million
Is it my lucky day when the Director of the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) contacts me to tell me I am due compensation of US$15 Million?
Actually no it is not. I have just been contacted by what are probably Nigerian scammers with an Advanced Fee Fraud (also known as a 419 Scam) whereby you will end up paying them money and will never see any portion of the US$15 Million.
The most popular scams of this type are:
- Where someone somewhere in the world is dying of a terminal illness, they don't trust their family and they wish you to help them give their vast savings to charitable causes, with a portion for yourself.
- A corrupt Bank official wants you to pretend to be the next of kin of someone who died in a plane/automobile accident who has a vast fortune. The bank official is suggesting you share this fortune.
- Someone wants you to help them transfer a vast sum of money out of an unstable country and help them invest that money, you will get a sizeable "commission" for your help.
- Whatever the vast amount of money that is promised, it does not exist
- You will be asked to pay up front advanced fees to access this fortune. Of course if you pay the first fee, further fees will be "invented" for you to pay and as I point out above you will never get the money promised, as the money does not exist.
- One option when you receive such an email is simply to delete it, but if you decide to play along limit the amount of personal information you give them. If you have received the e-mail at your address pbrown3412@gmail.com probably your true name is paul brown or something similar. You could set up a completely new anonymous e-mail account with gmail and copy over the e-mail received to that account and reply from your new false identity but that takes a lot of time and effort... just reply from your present email account, keep your surname and change your first name to say Peter. There are millions of Peter Browns in the world there is no way they can track you down.
- Don't give your true address or telephone number, choose a fake address and telephone number in another city, similarly give a fake social security or id number. Never send a copy of your passport, images of novelty passports are available online, there is one of Daniel Craig's "James Bond" passport... just change the name, you don't need to be a graphics expert the scammers don't check too closely.
E-Mail received:
Date: 01/11/2024, 08:38
From: Christopher Wray fbi2024@outllook.com
To: Recipients fbi2024@outllook.com
Reply to: ouseonly2024@hotmail.com
Subject: ***SPAM*** Payment Notification.
Attention,
This message is from the Federal Bureau of Investigation office,
Please, is your email address still valid, we have Good News for you regarding your $15,000,000.00 compensation fund payment.
Kindly reply via this email: officialnotiticationmessage@gmail.com for more comprehensive information.
Best Regards,
Christopher Wray.
Bureau of Investigation Director.
Comments on the e-mail received:
Note: Christopher Wray appears to be using an outlook free email account. The e-mail address I am asked to reply to mispells officialnotificationmessage.
Christopher Wray is the real Director of the FBI (wikipedia link) but I doubt he is personally contacting you.
My e-mail reply:
Date: 01/11/2024, 09:24
From: [Address Redacted]
To: officialnotiticationmessage@gmail.com
Subject: Re: ***SPAM*** Payment Notification.
Tell me more. Why am I entitled to $15,000,000.00 compensation fund payment?
E-Mail received:
Date: 01/11/2024, 22:02
From: official Notitication Message officialnotiticationmessage@gmail.com
To: [Address Redacted]
Subject: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Payment Notification.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Washington, DC, United States
Purpose of payment: compensation
Amount of funds: $15,500,000.00
Final Approval Number: COM/25REF/2024
Attention,
Dear [Name Redacted],
Good day to you. Thank you for your email response, and its content is duly noted. I am pleased to acknowledge receipt of a payment order on your behalf from the United States Department of the Treasury to debit the funds recovered from unclaimed funds and credit your designated bank account with the above-mentioned amount of funds as specified on your compensation fund payment file. Your email address was discovered on the list of scam victims in one of the computers that were recovered from the con artists we caught during operations that took place on three different continents.
Note that a payment file has been created for the transfer of your approved compensation funds to your designated bank account. Once your payment file is verified and the legal paperwork is updated and authenticated with your personal information, in our capacity as the authorized government office/body handling your compensation funds payment, we shall issue a payment authorization order (PAO) to the United States Department of the Treasury-affiliated bank to complete the transfer of the fund to your desired bank account.
At this juncture, we urge you to provide us with the listed information here below:
Name:
Home Address:
Phone Number:
Copy of any form of ID or ID number:
Be informed that upon receipt of the above requested information from you, your payment file will be validated and authenticated, and then instruct the United States Department of the Treasury-corresponding bank management to finalize remittance of your compensation funds to your designated bank account.
I look forward to your prompt response for more comprehensive information and directives on how to proceed with your compensation fund payment. I enclose here a copy of my ID for identification purposes.
Yours in service,
Christopher Wray,
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Attached:
Attached fake id purporting to be of Chris Wray
Comments on the e-mail received:
I was never a scam victim, but this response is just a copy and paste response to everyone who has been "hooked" into the idea of being given a fortune. Note Fund has increased by US$500,000 from the figure previously mentioned. Impressive ID that has been attached. The ID only records him being a Special Agent and not the Director of the whole FBI!
My e-mail reply:
Date: 02/11/2024, 12:54
From: [Address Redacted]
To: officialnotiticationmessage@gmail.com
Subject: Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Payment Notification.
Dear Mr Wray,
Requested information:
Name: [Name redacted]
Home address: [Fake address].
Tel Number: [Fake telephone number landline matching fake address]
ID Number: [Fake N.I. Number]
Regards
[Name redacted]
E-Mail received:
Date: 01/11/2024, 22:02
From: official Notitication Message officialnotiticationmessage@gmail.com
To: [Address Redacted]
Subject: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Payment Notification.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Washington, DC, United States
Purpose of payment: compensation
Amount of funds: $15,500,000.00
Final Approval Number: COM/25REF/2024
Subject: Transfer of Your Compensation Fund via Susquehanna Bank
Dear [Name redacted],
Greetings. I hope your week is going well. I am pleased to acknowledge receipt of your email response along with your personal information for your compensation fund payment.
I have issued a detailed payment instruction to the bank management responsible for processing your compensation fund. This instruction initiates the necessary arrangements for the secure transfer of your compensation funds to your personal bank account.
Below are the bank contact details. Kindly contact the authorized bank management for more comprehensive information about your compensation fund payment.
Bank Name: Susquehanna Bank
Contact Person: Mr. Rodney Smith
Email: rodney.smith2024@outlook.com
I instructed the paying bank-accredited payment officer to take and keep records of everything related to your fund payment. Please be aware that a bank service fee of $495 is applicable for the transfer of your compensation fund.
You can address this matter with the designated payment officer by referencing your compensation fund with the reference number (COM/25REF/2024). I strongly encourage you to promptly contact Mr. Rodney Smith to facilitate the essential arrangements for the payment of the funds to your account. Should you need any further clarification or assistance, please contact me.
Have a pleasant day.
Yours in service,
Christopher Wray,
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Notes: Here is where "Chris Wray" passes you over to the Bank official, a "Mr. Rodney Smith" though both parties may be being played by the same person. Rodney Smith apparently a bank official and acting in an official capacity does not seem to have a bank e-mail address but again uses the free outlook email service.
In other scams you can get passed over to lawyers, logistics companies and other "officals" who are "needed" to process your "fund".
Here we get mention of an "advanced fee" of US$495 being the Bank service charge. In my first response I made a suggestion as to why I need not have to pay this fee, that the service charge be deducted from the total compensation fund and I be paid the net amount. I thought I might have over-played my hand as there was a delay before getting a further response ignoring my suggestion.
My further e-mail reply:
Date: 13/11/2024, 12:49
From: [Address Redacted]
To: rodney.smith2024@outlook.com
Subject: Re: Payment of Compensation Fund
F.A.O. Mr Rodney Smith, Susquehanna Bank.
Final Approval Number: COM/25REF/2024
Dear Mr Smith,
Please commence arrangements for the secure transfer of my Compensation Fund of US$15.5 million to my personal bank account as instructed by Christopher Wray, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Regards
[Name redacted]
Rodney Smith now enters the correspondence:
Date: 14/11/2024, 22:28
From: Rodney Smith rodney.smith2024@outlook.com
To: [Address Redacted]
Subject: ***SPAM*** Re: Payment of Compensation Fund
Susquehanna Community Bank,
Beaver Springs, PA USA,
E-mail:: rodneysmith@susquehanabk.com
Date:: November 14, 2024
Type of payment:: compensation
Amount:: $15,500,000.00
Compensation Reference No:: COM/25REF/2024
File No: COM8409L2024
Dear [Name redacted],
Good day to you. I hope you are doing well. I hereby acknowledge receipt of your email and its content is well understood and duly noted.
The Management of the Susquehanna Community Bank is pleased to acknowledge receipt of Payment Order from Mr. Christopher A. Wray, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with compensation payment reference number COM/25REF/2024 on your behalf to debit their "account" with us to the amount of $15,500,000.00 only and credit your designated bank account with the specified amount as approved in your payment file.
As the newly appointed/accredited Local/international paying bank, we have been instructed by your benefactor to release your compensation funds with immediate effect; with this exclusive vide transaction no.: COM8409L2024, compensation no: COM/25REF/2024 having received these vital payment numbers, you are instantly qualified to receive and confirm your payment with us within the next 48 hours. Furthermore, be informed that our service charge is $495 only for transfer of your compensation fund.
It is also imperative to inform you that this requirement is in line with the above-mentioned fund source, origin and this country's banking financial policies, rules and regulations, based on their constitutional rights and terms. As stated in the last paragraph of our Corporate Transaction Statement, our handling charges vary from the volume of the transaction / bank of the final destination and cannot be deducted from the principal amount due to the Irrevocable Insurance Policy (IIP) associated with the escrow payment account, such as logistics, evaluations, appraisals, certifications and validation exercises to the relevant government monetary agencies for proper international/local banking trails and accountability prior to the remittance of the fund to your nominated account.
At this juncture, I urge you to fill out the listed details below for the ATM Card issuance and return the information with a copy of your valid photo ID for identification and verification purposes; preferably a driver's license or passport copy to enable me to initiate the transfer of your fund. Please, find the attached document. It is my work ID with the Susquehanna Community Bank.
Here are the required information;
Bank Name::
Account Holder's Name::
Swift Code::
Routing Number::
Bank Address::
Account Number::
Thanks, and if you have any questions, I encourage you to email me as soon as possible, Susquehanna Community Bank operates 24/7 online banking services to our local and international customers / clients.
Respectfully in service,
Mr. Rodney Smith,
Accredited Payment Officer,
Susquehanna Community Bank, PA, USA.
Attached id:
Fake id purporting to be of Rodney Smith at the Bank
Note: Requests for more information, Bank account details, copy of passport. Not really needed for the scam as no money will ever be credited to your account. If you give your real details and a real copy of your passport they could likely be used in other scams and identity theft.
Flashy but totally fake id provided by "Rodney Smith".
Note also that "Rodney Smith" has provided a bank e-mail address. I have not checked that rodneysmith@susquehanabk.com is a genuine e-mail address, but there is only one "h" in the name of the bank in the e-mail address compared with 2 "h" in the actual name of the Bank. There is no bank website at http://www.susquehanabk.com.
My e-mail reply:
Date: 15/11/2024, 10:16
From: [Address Redacted]
To: Rodney Smith rodney.smith2024@outlook.com
Subject: Re: ***SPAM*** Re: Payment of Compensation Fund
Dear Mr Smith,
Type of payment:: compensation
Amount:: $15,500,000.00
Compensation Reference No:: COM/25REF/2024
File No: COM8409L2024
Requested information
Bank Name:: [Redacted]
Account Holder's Name:: [Redacted]
Swift Code:: [Redacted]
Routing Number:: [Redacted]
Bank Address:: [Redacted]
Account Number:: [Redacted]
Attached scan of passport.
Regards,
[Redacted]
Note: Fake bank details and passport image submitted.
Further E-Mail from Rodney Smith:
Date: 15/11/2024, 14:55
From: Rodney Smith rodney.smith2024@outlook.com
To: [Address Redacted]
Subject: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: Payment of Compensation Fund
Dear [Name Redacted],
Thank you for your email response with your bank account details on where to transfer your compensation fund. Note that all the necessary arrangements for smooth and timely transfer of the compensation fund to your designated bank are in place.
I am pleased to provide you herewith our cashier bank account information on where to pay/transfer the required fee being our service fee.
Bank name:: Bank of America
Bank Address:: 1500 Hudson ave
Rochester NY 14621, USA
Account number:: 483079017997
Swift code:: BOFAUS3N
Account type:: Business account
Bank holder’s name:: Freddie Mouzon
Routing number:: 026009593
Kindly provide me with the bank transfer slip for recording purposes.
Best regards,
Mr. Rodney Smith.
Note: Closing in for the kill now, all he needs is the US$495 to be transferred to this account but we have sharp eyes... why is Freddie Mouzon and why are we being asked to pay into his account? The request for the bank transfer slip is not for any recording purposes but just to know that the money has gone into their account.
My e-mail reply:
Date: 15/11/2024, 15:49
From: [Address Redacted]
To: Rodney Smith rodney.smith2024@outlook.com
Subject: Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: Payment of Compensation Fund
Dear Mr Smith,
Thank you for your prompt response to my e-mail.
I have a query concerning the payment you are requesting me to make of the Bank service charge of $495.
So we have Mr. Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (email address: officialnotiticationmessage@gmail.com) who has arranged that the Susquehanna Community Bank (of which you are the Accredited Payment Officer, e-mail address: rodney.smith2024@outlook.com) pay me my compensation award of US$15.5 Million from the FBI's account with the Bank.
In earlier e-mails I have been told that a service fee of US$495 needs to be paid to the Bank.
You write in your e-mail "Furthermore, be informed that our service charge is $495 only for transfer of your compensation fund."
Please explain to me why if I am required to make a payment of $495 to the Susquehanna Community Bank I am being asked to make a payment into a bank account in the name of Freddie Mouzon?
Who is Freddie Mouzon?
I look forward to your earliest response so that we may satisfactorily conclude this matter.
Regards
[Name Redacted]
Note: How will they explain this one?
Rodney Smith e-mails:
Date: 15/11/2024, 16:42
From: Rodney Smith rodney.smith2024@outlook.com
To: [Address Redacted]
Subject: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: Payment of Compensation Fund
Dear [Name Redacted],
Thank you for your email response, and its content is duly noted. I understand your skepticism about paying the required fee to the given cashier information. I apologize for the lack of detailed explanation regarding the directive to make the payment of the required fee into an individual bank account.
The cashier, who is actually an FBI agent, was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to keep records of everything pertaining to your compensation fund payment.
It is essential to keep the Federal Bureau of Investigation office updated with all information and decisions regarding the transfer of funds to your nominated bank account. We have a set timeframe to complete the transfer of your compensation fund to your designated bank account. We are working remotely to ensure the fund transfer is concluded within the next couple of days.
Please proceed to send the required fee to the bank account of Mr. Fred as approved by the FBI.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Best regards,
Rodney.
Notes: Not sure his explanation reassures me that paying US$495 into Fred Mouzon's personal bank account is going to progress a non-existent US$15.5 Million Compensation Fund into my account. He has slipped saying "Mr Fred". It is an error common with Nigerian scammers that they confuse given and surnames, the west and african countries order the names differently.
My e-mail reply:
Date: 15/11/2024, 19:10
From: [Address Redacted]
To: Rodney Smith rodney.smith2024@outlook.com
Subject: Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: Payment of Compensation Fund
Dear Mr. Rodney,
You are very good at scamming.
Alaye
Regards
[Name redacted]
Notes: call them out as being scammers, Mr Rodney (as Mr Fred). Alaye... a "code word" between scammers... I know you are a scammer because I am too. How to know Nigerian online scammer: Code word uncovered will surprise you
Rodney Smith e-mails:
Date: 15/11/2024, 16:42
From: Rodney Smith rodney.smith2024@outlook.com
To: [Address Redacted]
Subject: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: Payment of Compensation Fund
What is the meaning of your message.
Perhaps I should tell him and lapse into Nigerian Yoruba.
My e-mail reply:
Date: 02/11/2024, 16:11
From: [Address Redacted]
To: 15/11/2024, 20:09
Subject: Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: Payment of Compensation Fund
Mr Rodney,
Come now, you know what I mean Alaye.
If not Mugu, Mugu.
Regards
[Name redacted]
And that is the end of our conversation, they never did reply. Probably gone on to offer the US$15.5 Million to someone else they wished to scam.
Mugu, Mugu = Fool, Foolish.
= Are you from Lagos?
British Banks do sometimes offer compensation to customers who have mistakenly paid scammers through bank transfers. The amount of the compensation could vary between a percentage of the amount lost up to the full amount that was scammed.
The Banks though are starting to refuse to pay compensation because they say they give enough warnings on their Banking app or online banking websites that the customer should be sure of the legitimacy of the person they are sending the funds to before making a transfer.
And there's more...
Other scam e-mails received:
- The Terminally Ill Benefactor - Agnes Schultze - US$17.5 Million
- Project Funding - Frederick Inuate
- I.M.F. Final Notice Approved Entitlement Fund Payment. - US$25.5 Million
- "Corrupt Bank Official" - KS Cheung - US$79.5 Million
- Investment Opportunity (Funding) - Khumalo I Khumalo - US$5 Million - US$6.5 Billion
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20th November 2024
Credit: FBI Seal public domain, Wikipedia