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.

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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!!

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Fax Number:+44-870-9741509
Email:int_remittance_dept@superchat.biz

For immediate transfer of your funds be informed that you are not allowed to correspond or contact any person or office with respect to this transfer other than this office, you are required to send to him an  email with your full following information below:

1) YOUR FULL NAME__________________

2) RESIDENCE ADDRESS, CITY, STATE AND COUNTRY_______________________

3) PERSONAL CELL PHONE, FAX AND MOBILE PHONE NUMBER_________________________

Yours Sincerely,

Mr. Alex Hungate.

HSBC BANK PLC LONDON.

Notice how reputable the assailants tried to make the email message by providing contact information right at the top. However, that is all that really worked for these personal information thieves. As soon as I read the demands I knew this was a con. Well, actually I knew when I read the subject line. Whatever you do, don’t reply and if you fear that someone may have stolen your banking or credit card info make sure to call the respective institution to verify first.

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THE LOTTERY DEPARTMENT UK.
22 Garden Close,PE9 2YP, London
Dear Winner,

This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash prize of
£1,000,000.00
(British Pounds) held on the5th of September 2008 in London Uk.

The selection process was carried out through random selection in
ourcomputerized email selection system(ess)
from adatabase of over 250,000email addresses drawn from hich you were
selected.

The BRITISH UK. Lottery is approved by the British Gaming Board. To begin
the processing of your prize you are to contact our fiduaciary claims
department formore information as regards procedures to claim yourprize.

Name: Mrs. Fredina David
TELL: +44 70457 07109
Email: infouk.lottery115@yahoo.co.uk

Contact him by sending him with the underlisted informations

*1.Full Name: 2.Full Address: 3.Occupation: * *4.Age: 5.Sex:
6.Nationality: 7.Telephone Number: *

Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for
being part of our promotional program.

Carolyn Rex
Online Co-coordinator
U.K NATIONAL PROMOTIONS
Ticket No: 20511465463-764

Just so you know, the criminals who perpetrate identity theft crimes for fraudulent purposes often use the names and contact information of real companies and then funnel you throughout the reading process to their own email address. Be very aware of such techniques and even if the email address seems legitimate why wouldn’t they call you about such a big prize in the first place. I think most companies that deal with sweepstakes types of programs know that consumers get inundated with multitude emails and that contacting them via the phone or snail mail is the best way to let them know they won. Just my 2 cents.

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Dear Friend,
My name is Major Selma Linda George. I am an American soldier with Swiss background, serving in the military with the army 3rd infantry division. With a very desperate need for assistance, I have summed up courage to contact you. I found your contact particulars in an address journal. I am seeking your kind assistance to move the sum of ( $ 3.2 million USD )three million, two hundred united states dollars to you, as far as I can be assured that my share will be safe in your care until I complete my service here, this is no stolen money, and there are no danger involved.

I am presently in a hospital recovering from injuries sustained in a suicide bomb attack.Source of money: Some money in various currencies was discovered in barrels at a farmhouse near one of Saddam’s old palaces in Tikrit-Iraq during a rescue operation, and it was agreed by staff Sgt Kenneth buff and I that some part of this money be shared among both of us before informing anybody about it since both of us saw the money first. This was quite an illegal thing to do, but I tell you what? No compensation can make up for the risk we have taken with our lives in this hell hole. Of which my brother in-law was killed by a road side bomb last week. Please view website for confirmation;

http://www.voanews.com/burmese/archive/2003-04/a-2003-04-20-1-1.cfm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm

The above figure was given to me as my share, and to conceal this kind of money became a problem for me, so with the help of a British contact working here and his office enjoy some immunity, I was able to move the money to a security company in Bangkok Thailand which have a branch in United States precisely New York it was deposited as a diplomatic baggage. They are now waiting for us to provide the name of beneficiary who they will transfer the funds to.

The reason I want you to claim the funds on my behalf is that as a soldier, I cannot present concrete evidence on how i made such a big amount of money down here. Besides the US Government is trying their best to keep their eyes on soldiers here in order to effect a high level of discipline among us. The moment i am sure that you are willing to assist me; I will give you the information of the security company and the security code of the baggage. I want you to tell me how much you will take from this money for the assistance you will give to me.

One passionate appeal I will make to you is not to discuss this matter with anybody, should you have reasons to reject this offer, please and please destroy this message as any leakage of this information will be too bad for us soldiers here in Iraq. I do not know how long we will remain here, and I have been shot, wounded and survived two suicide bomb attacks by the special grace of God, this and other reasons i will mention later has prompted me to reach out for help, I honestly want this matter to be resolved immediately, please contact me as soon as possible, my only way of communication is email.
Respond only through this my private email below:-
Email: – selmausarmy1@hotmail.com
yours in Service.

Major Selma Linda George

Identity Theft Prevention Tips to watch out for:

1. The legality aspect of this email
   1. Does it make sense to break the law?
   2. Does it make sense to risk your financial future?
   3. Does it make sense to have your identity and other personal info stolen?
2. Notice that the email addresses are different
   1. The sender of the physical scam is: danielwells@jabber.nuxo.net
      1. Most likely from a hacked account of an unsuspecting person
      2. Could also be a disposable account made by the identity thieves
   2. The person asking for help has this email: selmausarmy1@hotmail.com
      1. This is most likely a disposable email address to garner personal information and other crime related data
3. The two linked stories are very old and should give off red flags
4. The concept of deceit and psychological manipulation is at play here
   1. First the sender says it is legal… than what they have done is NOT
   2. The character wants you to feel for them in respect to their pains associated with “putting their neck on the line”
   3. For people who don’t like the ‘laws’ ‘law’ ‘cops’ or a concept of social control this email is very appealing. They see someone who has been on the side of the law and is breaking it by “dipping in the cookie jar” themselves and sharing the supposed profit.

In the end, you are the only one that can make the proper decision to stop identity theft at its tracks. If you decide to reply you may be in very deep in financial havoc and identity restoration efforts.

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So how can this identity theft thing happen?
Whenever you receive a receipt of your deposit you should dispose of it, especially when:

• Your account number is displayed
• Your name is on it
• Your balance is shown
• Your deposit amount is also shown

Your account number is the key factor that can make the theft of your identity a possibility.  Coupled with your name it becomes a “deadly gun.”  Adding the presence of your balance and deposit information it becomes a “loaded & deadly gun.” The balance or the deposit amount is often a deciding factor for an identity thief to pursue the opportunity. In general, the higher the balance or deposit amount the more lucrative is the undertaking of the crime.

Proper prevention
Protect yourself by keeping your bank receipts with you until you can file them in a safe place or dispose of them (shredding or burning are great ways). Don’t throw your bank deposit receipt in a trash container as it is then out off your control. If you would like to keep light on the go tear the receipt in places where your account number and name are displayed.  Further advice for this technique is to tear the receipt in tiny little pieces and then dispose of them. However, throw them out at numerous locations instead of one. Identity theft criminals don’t want to solve an unsolvable puzzle, so make it harder for them to put all the pieces together.

Signs of paranoia?
No, not at all. Identity thieves will often go through great lengths to obtain little bits of information about their victims. This is done through gathering of receipts, bills, and other identifying information, often, through dumpster diving – where a criminal goes through garbage to get what he needs to perform a fraudulent crime. Although the chances of identity theft through your bank deposit receipt are relatively small, you should try to practice identity theft prevention at every step of the way. Not every bank has mechanisms to prevent theft of your identifying information. Therefore, for example, you should ask your bank clerk to print a receipt that shows the last 4 digits of the account number instead the full 10.

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My way
When I was searching for work, my typical job application was either hand written or typed.  I made plenty copies of my resume and any supporting materials like diplomas, certificates, and letters of recommendation.  To me, that was my way of doing things when it came time to apply.  I even made copies of my job application after I filled it out.  All for record keeping purposes, of course.

I left my information in the car and at the house while job hunting.  That way I had convenient access to my job hunting resources.  Then, when I was in the first stages of getting accepted I would run off several copies of my drivers license and the social security card.  If the job involved traveling, I even xeroxed my passport per request of my new employer.

Wake up call
What I started to realize is that I was setting myself up for possible identity theft. My information was scattered everywhere and each piece of paper, from the job application to the xeroxed SS card, was a sure contributor to my financial demise.  Moreover, I used my USB flash drive to store these documents.  What would happen if I was to lose any of them?

Unintentional treasure
Your job application is the best piece of paper an identity thief can get his hands on.  It has your full name, address, telephone #, drivers license number, and social security number listed.  Additionally, any background information, such as: your education, work experience, and personal references further create a portfolio of crime resources.

Keep the application close to you at all times until you are ready to hand it in to the proper department.  Don’t give it to any Joe Schmo.  Make sure to ask for a manager or a human resources department.  That is where the applications end up and that’s where you should aim their path to.

Copy that
The further documentation in a shape of a xeroxed copy are a perfect facilitator to credit fraud and other identity theft crimes.  Make only copies that you will need.  Don’t make copies that you think you may need in the future. If you don’t want to listen, here is what I think… This is a big mistake, as you will most likely forget about the copied document.  Understand one thing, a copy of a document is usually of an equal value to the original document.  Hence your social security number should not fly all over the car along with other identifying information.  Dispose of copies you will not be using by utilizing a shredder or by burning the items.

The Digital Era
As for any stored documents, like: PDF files, resumes, and scanned documents, make sure to keep them in a safe place.  Not a USB drive!  I know it is so much easier to store these items and print them off at work or at your university, but what would happen if you didn’t delete the personal info and lost your electronic storage device?  Identity thieves thrive on opportunities and electronic devices are filled with them; from resumes to scanned copies of your social security card to saved credit card statements, bank account information, personal address books, and more.  Yes, these devices are wonderful when it comes to managing your life, yet they are so very dangerous.

Take great care in preventing identity theft by making use of your smart brains.  Little prevention may go a long way in making sure you don’t get scammed and become just another statistic.  Happy job hunting.

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The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) has created a great resource for anyone that is interested in learning about preventing crimes such as identity theft.  The McGruff site is geared towards children and has a colorful interface filled with videos, stories, and other crime prevention techniques.

The NCPC web site is geared more for parents.  This website can inform you about social networking, Internet safety, and basic identity theft prevention necessities that are contextually related to different scenarios and crimes.  This great resource can help you raise your child safely in the ever changing world. Take a look yourself and make sure to point your kids to it.

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Preventing Identity Theft by Burning Your Junk Mail
Nevertheless, I decided to start a fire in my barbecue grill and proceed to burn nearly two hundred pieces of junk mail filled with identifying information.  That identifying information mainly consists of my name and address.  Big deal you say.  But, it is.

Thick envelopes, filled with poor and great sales copy, contain other potentially sensitive personal information which can lead to identity theft by means of physical crimes.  If you have ever received an offer for the Bestest Titanium Credit Card in the world you know that this invitation alone says lots about you, but more importantly about your finances and credit.

Couple big reasons why you should burn
If you throw junk mail out into the trash a persistent thief may gather enough data about you to wait in front of your house the next time you hold your Starbucks latte and your briefcase in your hands.  Remember, there are people out there that see rewards in a form of a quick violation of the law.  Some people have their purses and briefcases snatched and others are not so lucky.  Your improper disposal of junk mail can be more costly than the time and the money needed to clean your credit record from identity and credit card fraud.  It can also lead to bodily harm, and even death.

Wow, that’s harsh… I know!  However, chances of something like that happening are very remote.  But in the end, who really wants to chance it.  Burning your junk mail is a great alternative to shredding, especially if you have tons of unsolicited mail.  It can even protect you from theft of your personal belongings and injury.  Now one question remains: how do you light a match?

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When picking a shredder don’t choose one that is cheap.  By cheap I mean the design and the price.  Cheap shredders are okay for preventing identity theft, however they don’t come with functions and shredding capabilities that you will need.  Most of the cheaper models shred personal information in long rectangular stripes.  This is very bad, as it would be easy to piece the parts of the document together, especially if you shred occasionally.  Yes, some inexpensive shredders can devour your documents and turn them into tiny little pieces, but they will usually break down faster.  Pick a shredder like you would be picking a new car, because you will want to have it for many years to come.  Also, chose a shredding machine that can take on many pieces of documents and provides credit card shredding ability.  If you look hard enough you can find a pretty good shredder for about $100.  Spend more if you can afford it, but one hundred bucks should be right on target.

So what should I shred to prevent identity theft with a shredder:

1. Anything that you don’t mind never seeing again
2. Anything with your first and last name on it
3. Anything with your address on it
4. credit card statements, banking statements, utility bill statements, etc.
5. car insurance cards, health insurance cards, other insurance cards
6. credit cards* (to protect my identity I personally burn them, but you may want to re-thing that)
7. CDs and DVDs containing sensitive data*
8. Marketing promotions, brochures, and other shreddable media containing identifying info
9. Pictures (yes, they are an identifying element often used for identity theft and assassinations
10. Old work ID’s, Old state and federal IDs, etc

* Not all shredders support this great identity theft prevention feature

No matter what you choose to shred remember that shredding is a prevention technique for id theft and should be utilized with other preventive ways.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that your identity is safe just because you shred your documents, bills, and credit cards.  A persistent id thief can put pieces back together. However, if you follow my recommendations you should find a shredder that will make it worthless for anyone to play with puzzles.

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