I want to alert everyone (especially transsexuals seeking GRS) about this scam. This individual identifies him or herself as "Officer Lateef," working in conjunction with the FBI and the EFCC in Nigeria. This "officer" claims that they apprehended some scammers who have stolen people's money, and they are giving the money both to the people scammed, and also people who are poor in the community, particularly those who are hard of hearing and transsexual. At least, that's what I gathered from "Lateef's" messages. I'm not hard of hearing at all, but apparently, this individual was willing to scam me anyway. At least there is no discrimination here (ha ha!).
Among the messages was a claim: "You pay £1200 and get £40,000,00.You pay £2,000 and get £90,000,00.You pay £2,500 and get £150,000,00.You pay £3,000 and get £200,000,00." Oh yes, I am apparently recognized as being among the "poor community," yet I can afford to shell out over $1,900 (the US dollar equivalent of £1200), in hopes that I get more money back in return.
Aiding and abetting this nonsense (at least in my case) is one Ann George. Ann contacted me on Facebook, stating that she received a large sum of money from this Lateef person, which I do not believe. Perhaps Ann is helping the scammer. Perhaps Ann is the scammer. It is not my intention to defame anyone, so no Facebook profile links or email addresses will be posted here. Nonetheless, I do wish to give my readers some warning signs, and a way of recognizing these individuals. I will note that both people do exhibit poor grammar and punctuation. Both individuals kept following up to find out what I'm going to be doing about this wonderful opportunity. Of course, the scammer is going to keep trying, but Ann just about blew her cover here.
Scammers can always change their aliases and email addresses. What they cannot change are these immutable facts:
1) Never trust an email coming from some supposed organization, yet originating from a domain like Yahoo or Hotmail.
2) Never give out personal information unless it is over a secure network (https:// will appear in the address bar).
3) Never pay money in order to get money in return. That's idiotic (sorry), and you'll never see anything. You most probably won't get a response from this individual after that, and if you do, they'll only hit you up for more money, stating that there is an additional fee that they didn't anticipate.
I wrote to the EFCC itself, asking if there is an "Officer Lateef" working for them. So far, I haven't received a response. They must be pretty busy. How many scam or spam emails do you get a day? I get at least 20 a day. This one hit home, and I really wanted to believe it. I will admit to having some high hopes, before I was asked to shell out $1,900. Save your money, people. Remember the old adage: "If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is."
Here are copies of some of the Facebook messages (from Ann George) and email messages (from Officer Lateef) that I have received. (What is wrote is written in pink, and the scam messages are in red.)
Ann George
Ann George March 26 at 10:48am
Have you heard the good news About Officer lateef, who work for government department of Compensation to help lesbian deafs,Hearing,Poor and Young People in the Community?
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did you heard am among lucky people that Officer lateef, who work for Federal agency.I'd talk to him on im chat and he let me know about my money £90,000.00.B'cz they help people?. Did you got yours from him?
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did you heard am among lucky people that Officer lateef, who work for Federal agency.I'd talk to him on im chat and he let me know about my money £90,000.00.B'cz they help people?. Did you got yours from him?
Amy K March 26 at 3:03pm
I've never heard of him, no. Does he help LGBT people in America?
of course yes he does,am so happy now am rich, But i saw your Facebook Profile on the list when he came to deliever the money to me and he told me know everyone on the list will get money.I think you should hit him up now,because his online now and claim yours talk to him now his online his Screen Name.....i have is yahoo id ..let me know if you care for it......bye ann.....LGTB..
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Amy K March 27 at 3:23pm
Yes, please let me know what the screen name is. Thank you. :)
Ann George March 28 at 2:58am
ok dear.add him up now so you can get this money ok..is real,am not deceiving you ok....is yahoo id is #####@yahoo.com.bug him now ..and tell him your name ...because i saw your name also on this list...best of luck....ann
Ann George March 28 at 10:18am
hope you already hit him up.cus my girlfriend already did and she so happy right now also.i think after you have claim this money i will like to have some fun with you ...or do you mind .lol...ann
Amy K March 28 at 1:54pm
My girlfriend won't like me "having fun" with another girl, sorry. But thank you for the email. :)
Ann George March 29 at 2:27am
thats alright ..... so have you hit spoken to him .....i sent you is email..right.....ann
Amy K March 30 at 12:23pm
Yes, he wrote this morning, and I wrote back. Have you actually received this money yet? What information did you have to give him?
Ann George March 31 at 3:50am
well to be sincere girlfriend,i first thought it was a scam ....when he told me to fill some form and pay for the ups..it sound so suspicious ..then my girlfriend who told me about this told me it was a test to know whether am the real person claiming this money ....i eventually did ..and i got the some of $20,000..for real girlfriend..
Amy K March 31 at 8:33am
I thought he gave you £90,000.00? And he says it's $50,000. How much did you have to pay for ups?
Ann George March 31 at 11:41am
well he sent me some option to choose and i went for one i think i could afford thinking it was a scam ....but believe me girlfriend if i had known it was real i would have gone for he big fish ....i wish i could go for it again i swear to you ....my friend in club got hers today ....taking the girls out for fun.good luck..ann
Amy K March 31 at 11:58am
So let me get this right. The more you pay for... what... a ups shipment? Then the more money you get? I'm just a bit confused on how it works.
Have a good time. :)
Have a good time. :)
Ann George April 1 at 3:52am
yeah the more you pay for the more you get the money...and when they come to deliver this money ..you are going to see people under your list you might know to hit up about this...i really had a nice time with my girlfriends ..and you..ann
Ann George April 1 at 10:13am
was up girlfriend,you didn't write me,are you cool
Amy K April 1 at 10:51am
I didn't go on Facebook between your messages. That's very early morning in my part of the world, so I just logged on now. Yes, I am cool. :)
Ann George April 1 at 10:53am
cool am also here talking with a girlfriend..so how was is your day,have you gotten your money..tell me yes.
Amy K April 1 at 10:54am
My day is just starting, but it's pretty good so far. No, I haven't gotten the money yet.
Ann George April 1 at 10:56am
why?tell me you are joking.
Amy K April 1 at 10:57am
It hasn't come yet. Why would I joke?
Ann George April 1 at 10:59am
don't you want to get it or what am kind of confused here?
Officer Lateef
Dear Officer Lateef,
My name is Amy K----, and I was told by somebody that I am on some sort of "list" for financial help since I am a transsexual. Please let me know if this is true, and what happens from here? Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Amy
sorry for the late response...Hello, My name is Officer lateef.I work for Federal Agency,We remember your Screen name on our list here and your money is available for you to claim, Let us know if you ready to claim the money and we Explain to you how we got your Screen name, You listen and read carefully.thanks.
officer lateef
Hello Officer Lateef,
Okay, how do I claim the money? What federal agency do you work for?
- Amy
This is Special agent Officer here In conjunction with (EFCC NIGERIA AND FBI USA).We recovered the sum of $500,000,00(Five Hundred Million Dollars) from online scammers in the last 12 months From Africa Nigeria.The Federal Government under the leadership of president Obama and Nigeria President is giving out $50,000 each (Fifty Thousand Dollars) to yahoo ID and AIM screen name found on the scammers computer. It is as part or measures of stopping scam and compensating the people that have been scammed and some people who are Poor in the community especially the transsexual disables,Hearing and Hard of hearing.You are one of the lucky people to get the money. we want you to be honest with us in giving us the right information.
You have to pay for Case file fee and the shipping fund,so we can bring the money to your door step in the next 6 hours from now,You pay £1200 and get £40,000,00.You pay £2,000 and get £90,000,00.You pay £2,500 and get £150,000,00.You pay £3,000 and get £200,000,00...which one is preferable to you
if you agree with this terms you can mail me back as soon as possible OK. so i can give you the necessary information...
yours sincerely officer lateef
if you agree with this terms you can mail me back as soon as possible OK. so i can give you the necessary information...
yours sincerely officer lateef
Woah. Even the lowest one (£1200) is over $1,900 US dollars. I'm unemployed and I don't have money like that. Sorry.
- Amy
- Amy
OK i see so how do you want to go about this,or i do you want me to help you so you can get your money as soon as possible you have to think of a way out before is too late,tell me how much you afford so i will know how to go about this for you .OK have a wonderful day.
yours sincerely
officer lateef
How about you send me the money, and I'll send you back the case fee?
listen amy this is how we do it we don't scam OK if that's what on your mind you are gettin it all wrong,are you sure you are amy k---- we have on our list please if you are not dont do this ok and if you are then your early response is what we need from you ok
yours sincerely
officer lateef
Yes, I am Amy K----, and I am sure who I am. I am not sure who you are.
How do I tell you apart from all the scammers that the EFCC deal with? All you have is a Yahoo address, which anyone can get. Why not an address from efcc.com? What office do you work from? Who is your direct superior? Can I verify with the EFCC that you work for them? If this was really sent from the EFCC as an organization, then all that would've been provided already.
I found this:
"Internet scammers certainly are a resourceful bunch! In this variation, the scammers have the unbridled audacity to claim that they represent the EFCC, fighting against the very criminal activities that they, in fact, engage in.
This message supposedly offers much needed aid for scam victims and promises further action against scammer activities. But, of course, the message is itself a scam. In fact, it is a scam of precisely the same type as the senders pretend to be combating. The promised reimbursement is entirely imaginary and is simply the bait designed to catch potential victims.
Those who fall for this ruse and reply to the message will soon be asked to send money to cover imaginary fees. Supposedly, payment of these fees is required before the reimbursement can be transferred. If the victim complies, further requests for money are likely to follow. The scammers will invent a series of excuses explaining why such fees are necessary and continue to demand money until the victim finally realizes what is happening or runs out of funds. Victims are very unlikely to get their money back, nor will they ever receive the fictitious reimbursement payment. The scammers may also manage to steal the identities of their victims if they are able to collect enough personal information during the course of the scam.
Government officials and banks are quite unlikely to use a free web mail services such as Yahoo, nor are the likely to contact potential clients via unsolicited email in the first place."
Found on the internet. The internet is quite resourceful, isn't it?
- Amy
we carefully read all you wrote.and we quite understand you but you are not the first person to be informed about this and given a compensation fee .this is how we go about it because we cant just let any one have a direct contact with the efcc once this is done we have given this scammers a big chance to go about getting what is yours OK. your money is ready the money we asked you to pay is for all the labour you can ever think of ,by the way who told you about this and how and how did you get to know we have your name on our list,why dont you ask the person to tell you about this and stop being treekish .
yours sincerely
officer lateef.
(I started messing with her/him at this point.)
What does "treekish" mean?
what i mean is that you are given this organization a tough time OK,you asked me to send you the money first before you can send the fee which is not done that way all you have to do is to develop a faith that your money will get to your door step within 6 hours OK.miss kern you just have to trust this,we know is very hard for people to believe this but at the end of the day in gods name i know you we be so happy and always pray for this organization.a lot of people passed through this and are so happy now.good day
yours sincerely
officer lateef.
I don't have any money to give you. We are flat broke. All I have as "proof" is what you are typing to me, which anyone could do. Sorry, but if you were really from an organization that helps people against scammers, you would be warning them against messages just like this. No proof, nothing. And I have no money anyway. We're running out of things in the house and have no money to buy it with. So I certainly don't have any money to send to a person claiming to be from an organization that can't even prove who he is, even in the smallest way. I have written the EFCC and asked them if you indeed work for them. It may be bad for you if you don't, for they will surely add you to the list of scammers that they hunt. Good day.
- Amy
what if you are told by the efcc that i work for them and they tell you exactly what i told you,what next are you going to do? what are the proves do you need ?
officer lateef.
If the EFCC verifies everything you said, then I would want to somehow come up with the money you have requested. That would be exceedingly difficult, however, since I am unemployed at this time.
- Amy
OK so you have to tell us how much you can provide.or just tell us you don't need the money.
I'm unemployed, so I don't have any money. But since I'm unemployed, I do need the money.
so misss k---- what then do you want us to do for you i asked you how much can you get,you have to pay for all what i told you without that you can get the money.goodday.
officer lateef
I have no idea what you're trying to say...
miss k---- are you interested in getting this money or not?i said how much can you afford for the shipping fee just tell us and we know the next step to take,you have less than 5 days to make a choice,we have a lot of people we attend to OK.good day.
Yes, I am interested in the money, but I told you, I am broke. I have no money. None at all. It's all very easy to understand.
- Amy
ok miss k---- i really understand all you have said here, i went through your facebook and all the information you gave us is as real as what we have here ok,so this is all i can do for you.you have to try and get the sum of $400as soon as you send that i will send you a check of $3000 you cash it and send back the sum of $1000 as soon as you send it,you will then send $1900 which is the earlier money we asked for so you get your money and you will as well send me back my $1900 ,,,,if you agree with this terms then i will send to you an undertaking form for future reference . bye for now .
YOURS SINCERELY
officer latef.
I don't have $400. I'm broke and unemployed.
That last message was sent on April 9th. So this person/individual/entity has either given up, or is taking a break for a few days. This "organization" has a lot of people they attend to, as stated above. That may be one of the few truthful things in these communiques. Don't fall prey to this scammer. Good luck out there.
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