From: Mr. Abba Lawal.
Auditing and Account manager
Lloyds Tsb Bank Plc Republic Of Benin.
Phone:+229 9709 3412
Email: abba_l@msn.com

Dear Friend,
PLEASE REPLY TO MY PRIVATE E-MAIL ADDRESS:
abba_l@msn.com

I am writting to seek your coperation over this business, Please due welcome this letter.

I am  Mr.Abba Lawal, the director of the accounts & auditing dept .Lloyds Tsb Bank Plc Republic Of Benin With due respect, I have decided to contact you on a business transaction that will be beneficial to both of us.

At the bank’s last accounts/auditing evaluations, my staffs came across an old account which was being maintained by Mr. Peter Lund, a European. He was a seasoned contractor with Benin Cement Company, Cotonou, who unfortunately died in a plane crash of Union Transport Africaines Flight Boeing 727 in Cotonou,  Republic of Benin on 25th December, 2003.The deceased was unable to run this account since his death. The account has remained dormant without the knowledge of his family since it was put in a safe deposit account in the bank for future investment by the client.

Since his demise, even the members of his family haven’t applied for claims over this fund and it has been in the safe deposit account until I discovered that it cannot be claimed since our client is a foreign national and we are sure that he has no next of kin here to file claims over the money. As the director of the department, this discovery was brought to my office so as to decide what is to be done.  I decided to seek ways through which to transfer this money out of the bank and out of the country too.

The total amount in the account is (US$22.1M).with my positions as staffs of the bank, I am handicapped because I cannot operate foreign accounts and cannot lay bonafide claim over this money. The client was a foreign national and you will only be asked to act as his next of kin and I will supply you with all the necessary information and bank data to assist you in being able to transfer this money to any bank of your choice where this money could be transferred into.

You will read more stories about the crash on visiting this website:
1.www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3555201,00.html
2.www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/

I have decided to give away forty (40%) to you for your assistance and ten (10%) for any expenses that might arise during the transaction of this transfer, I want to assure you that this transaction is absolutely risk free since I work in this bank that is why you should be confident in the success of this transaction because you will be updated with information as at when desired.

If this proposal is acceptable to you, kindly email your following information to me:
a. Full Name(s)
b. Direct phone & fax number(s)
c. Your direct email & any other information you maydeem helpful.

I will wish you to keep this transaction secret and confidential as I am hoping to retire with my share of this money at the end of transaction which will be when this money is safety in your account. I will then come over to your country for sharing according to the previously agreed percentages. You might even have to advise me on possibilities of investment in your country or elsewhere of our choice. May God help you to help me to a restive retirement, Amen.

Please for further information and enquiries feel free to contact me through my email address abba_l@msn.com or on my telePhone number :+229 9709 3412

I am waiting for your urgent response!!!

Thanks and remain blessed.
Mr.Abba Lawal

If you have been reading the posts on my website you will know not to reply to this e-mail. If you haven’t been reading, now you know. Identity theft scams like this one are dime a dozen on the net. You should utilize protective measures in order to avoid identity theft.

One of the best for the e-mails is a junk mail filter. You might probably have it installed on your e-mail application or through your web-based e-mail provider, like: Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, and others. This first identity theft defense usually catches majority of the spam that’s out there on the internet. However, there are those that do slip through and can cause havoc if the reader adheres to the authors demands. Be smart and don’t become an identity thief’s prey.

There are individuals that exploit the special occasion to perpetrate crimes. Robberies, burglaries, and thefts are extremely widespread. Every one of these felony offenses can contribute to theft of identity. Often, the culprits employ a disguise of some kind. The mask is a typical style of concealment for such outlaws.

Their purpose of transgression is not promptly detected for the reason that countless individuals are wearing costumes along with masks on Halloween. The outlaws, aware of their own conniving intents, take hold of the opportunity to rob and steal. If you come in contact with disguised behemoths, you may be shocked to conclude that they could desire more than your candy. My recommendation is that you should remain very cautious and stay away from situations where you may feel endangered or exposed. Let your intuition lead you.

Trick or treaters typically finish their candy collection movement shortly after 7 PM, and a few may possibly end a little bit later. My common guideline is to stop answering the door at 8 PM. I will let the doorbell ring, and ring, and ring past that time. I don’t open it for anyone. Additionally, I try to stay at home as crime tends to exponentially increase in certain areas on October 31st, especially after dark. You should be conscious of that.

Oh and one more thing… HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Plastic Power
Have you received credit cards lately that you perhaps didn’t apply for?  This is one of the most common ways identity theft is spotted; when someone used your bankable name to obtain a credit card.

Hello, my name is…
Are you getting calls or letters from debt collectors?  Is this regarding a maxed out line of credit, or merchandise, or services you didn’t purchase?  Is some random business calling you to pay up?  If you said “yes” to even one of these questions you may be a victim of identity theft, unless of course, you decided to forgo paying your bills on time.

Credit report fallacies
Have you recently obtained copies of your credit reports?  If you have, did you notice any fraudulent or inaccurate information on your reports?  This may include accounts that are “negative,” “derogatory,” or even “open accounts.”  Make sure to check your personal information, such as: name, address, social security number, and employer information.  Does everything match?  If not, you may have become victim number… well, it’s in the millions.

Denied
Another sign of identity theft may be denial of credit.  Also, being passed up for best credit terms, such as lower interest rates, may fall in the category of identity theft.  Of course, if your credit is poor or average make sure to check your credit for any signs of identity theft.

I didn’t do that
If you spot any accounts you didn’t open and debts on your accounts that you cannot explain you may have become… you guessed it, another statistic.  These accounts may be on your credit report, but can also show up in your mailbox in a form of a statement, a bill, or a notice.

Where’s my mail?
If you are not receiving your bills or other mail you may be getting scammed.  Follow up with your creditors if this happens.  A missing bill may be a sign that an identity thief took over your accounts and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.

One last thing
If you are going to check your credit report make sure to check all three (3) of them.  If you have had credit for a while now you will notice that not all your accounts show up on all of your credit reports.  Thus, you should take into consideration that if you check the Experian credit file only, and coincidentally the ID thief chooses to apply for credit with a company that reports to Trans Union, you may miss out on very important signs of identity theft in progress.

Fourth of July – 4 Identity Protection Tips

1. When you take that long awaited vacation trip to your favorite fireworks destination don’t forget to lock your windows and doors.  Put your home security system on and tell as few people as possible that you will be out of town.  If you are going to your friend’s barbecue next door do the same.  Criminals, like your friend who you don’t know is a criminal, are quite aware that holidays such as the Independence Day are feeding grounds for burglaries and theft.
2. Take your most useful identifying and financial information to your vacation destination.  Don’t stuff your wallet with 7 credit cards, 3 blank checks, and $1,052 in cash.  In an event of loss or theft of your wallet you are S.O.L., and that doesn’t mean sun in Spanish.  Take one or two major credit cards, like a rewards card, no check book and spread your cash between you, your significant other, and even your kids.  That way you will have a couple bucks to get back to the hotel, campground, or a luxurious bear cave.
3. Try to keep your wallet with you at all times.  Don’t leave valuables and personal information in your hotel room as you may find yourself robbed without a gun and a robber present.  Hotel personnel and very persistent thieves find ways of stealing sensitive information (name, address, telephone, credit card numbers, and social security numbers) when you are away.  You may comeback to a seemingly untouched room, but your identity may have been stolen.  I don’t recommend buying an optional safe, since the digital code can be reset by hotel personnel.  In the end, if you really have to leave your identity in the room (going to the pool or water park) put the DO NOT DISTURB sign on your door handle.
4. Leave your social security card at home as you won’t need it.  Having all the IDs and credit cards with you by itself is an identity theft risk, but having it with your social security number is plain financial suicide.  In the perspective of an identity thief it would be a jackpot to find all the information in one convenient place, like your wallet.

Have a happy 4th of July! Be safe.

Cash or Credit
If you take out cash you may be deliberating if some sort of miles or points would rack up on your credit card for your fifty dollar meal.  You know you deserve it!  You proceed to give the waiter your credit card not knowing it can lead to identity theft.  The waiter writes down your name, credit card number, expiration date, and the security code that’s usually located on the back.  Then, they can buy themselves the world and your no hassle miles just became a huge hassle.

Well, that’s not entirely true.  You did have tomatoes in your salad.
Identity thieves need only a fraction of a second to write down important information needed to commit fraud.  Next time you send your waiter with a credit card I don’t want you to get a panic attack.  I just want to inform you that if any derogatory charges were made within proximity to your dining experience I want you to remember that blue eyed person that may have scammed you.

My take on it
I used to worked in the restaurant industry and I know that most of the people working at restaurants are there because of the money. For criminals opportunities for gain are enormous with the level of naivety most of us posses.  Yes, you have off days, too. It is those little moments where your credit card’s future is most vulnerable; those moments when you leave it alone with someone else.  If at all possible, at restaurants or not, try to keep an eye on your card.  What I do sometimes is go to the service station with my check and credit card in hand. I praise the waiter for the good service, while making small talk, he swipes the card through the credit card processing machine and off I go with the customer copy, the check, and my sweet plastic rewards card. Bon appétit.

Life Lock – Guarantee Your Good Name
LifeLock’s owner Todd Davis published his own social security number on the World Wide Web and plastered it on TV commercials to prove the power of the service.  I can’t tell you to do that with the protection coverage off, as the LifeLock CEO himself was hit by identity thieves.

“My Social Security number has been out there for two years,” the jovial exec told TODAY’s Matt Lauer Friday. “There’s been one instance where someone was successful in trying to turn my identity into money. There have been 87 other attempts to steal my identity, but the system works.”

Do the research yourself
Go to the LifeLock website to find out more information, including the details of the program and the extent of the protection offered in an event of identity theft.  Take the time to read the fine print, as you should with any service or product offering.

Identity theft insurance is something very viable to consider when trying to prevent identity theft and protect yourself from fraud.  If you don’t own any type of protection I recommend that you rely on common sense for identity theft protection.

Really, common sense is the best free identity theft protection insurance
When you are out and about, perhaps grocery shopping or withdrawing cash from the ATM, keep your credit cards and debit cards out of sight.  This means close your wallet as soon as you hand the credit card over to the cashier.  No one really needs to see that you have a titanium card, a Costco card with the last 4 digits of 8351, and your PIN number written with a sharpie on your beautiful leather wallet.  Now, if you like your crisp bills from the ATM beware of identity stealing peeps, privacy infringes, really…what ever you want to call them. Just keep your belongings close and your PIN number out of sight.

Why is this a common sense thing to do?
Well, for example the nice gentleman behind you, offering to help input your PIN number, may be planning to steal your purse while you are shopping or maybe after, like in the dark and empty parking lot. Then, he can take your card to withdraw funds, buy some expensive gasoline, or cigarettes…I heard those were quite pricey.

So what else have you got?
Easy, easy!! I said common sense not logically practical. Right?

Home is just another place where common sense towards prevention of identity theft should exist.  Don’t open the door to the 37 year old girl scout selling cookies in exchange for your name, address, and social security number.  Too simple, I know.  But do beware of disposing your snail mail which is often filled with credit card statements, phone bills, utility bills, and the never ending stream of marketing offers.  Any one of these mail pieces can fully, or at least partially, facilitate in the theft of your identity.

Think, please!
If you live in a rural area thinking that your mail is safe.  You are totally wrong.  Why, you say?  Because it is far easier to commit a crime, especially identity theft, in a small town than it is in an urban jungle.  Criminals perceive a lesser chance of being caught in places with no witnesses, lights, and the police near by.

Hey, you city slickers, we ain’t done yet.  No matter where you live take your mail in daily.  I know that this is way beyond common sense for insuring a sound credit score, but it is worth a mention, as common sense seems to work when it is applied and the exposed personal information is hidden.

No matter how you slice it or dice it.  Common sense is the best free identity theft protection insurance, compliments of your brain.  So please use it more than once today to protect your personal info and prevent identity theft.  Trust me, cleaning up your credit record is often a life time crusade, and not an instant solution just a phone call away. Happy common sense thinking!