I got this email recently. It is clearly the first step in a potential fraud. It caught my attention because it claimed to represent the interests of Byrraju Ramalinga Raju!
—–Original Message—–
From: Jessica Ferguson [mailto:balverson@earnhardtelectric.com]
Sent: Fri 3/13/2009 7:41 AM
Subject: Executive PlacementDear Executive,
This is a Management Placement on behalf of Mr. Byrraju Ramalinga Raju.
Mr. Ramalinga Raju is looking for an experienced business person/company that can profitably invest monies in excess of Thirty Nine Million US Dollars. The sum will be paid from Zurich Bank International Limited, 43-51 Athol Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM99 1ET, British Isles.
Mr. Ramalinga Raju is willing to pay 10% for your role as the beneficiary partner to the funds. Also, a subsequent 10% “Management Commission” will be paid for your advised investment services.
If you prefer to be re-contacted for more express information, please send us your:
[1] Full Names:
[2] Contact address:
[3] Direct Telephone No:Be advised to visit the following links to be better acquainted with Mr. Ramalinga Raju’s current profile and personality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramalinga_Raju
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7832834.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7815031.stmWe expect your correspondence and our response will be swift. I can be reached on (+447035931859) for details.
Signed:
Mr. Hock Lai Chan
Chan Law LLC
Bridge House Bridge Street
Isle of Man, IM9 1AX.
Direct Tel No: + (44) 703 593 1859
Fax No: + (44) 700 608 5723
419 email scams thrive on the hopes of gullible people to get their hands on some easy money. They typically mentioned an inheritance or buried treasure. For an advanced fee they promised access to this large sum of money. There were some cases where people ended up going to Nigeria and kidnapped for a ransom.
An email scam works on percentages. Number of email addresses –> number of people who actually get the email –> number of people who open the email –> number of people who read the email –> number of people who believe it –> number of people who respond to the email. I wonder if the Raju connection to potentially large wealth is as widely known. If someone opens the email and sees the Raju name, how many people will actually recognize it? On the other hand, if one does recognize the name, does that increase the credibility of the email? The connection between Raju and ill-gotten wealth might just do it.
I suspect that this email is targeted at Indians. Name recall for Raju will be very high amongst Indians and very low for others. I hope people are careful out there.
6 am pacific 
Ha – So Raju has made it to the Nigerian hall of fame. Satyam and Raju have been on the front pages of NYTimes and CNBC, so I suspect name recall of Satyam, if not Raju is pretty high. And the very helpful links in the email will no doubt help the recall for those gullible enough to take the email seriously.
Basab – maybe you can have some research run on earnhardt electric (the apparent domain of the email's sender) on gridstone's platform? When i googled, some company in South Carolina came up, though I don't know if the domain belongs to them.
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Bharat,
I'm sure there are special cells in the FBI who pay attention to these kinds of scams. I don't think they have much success in catching these scamsters who cover their tracks very well.
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First things that comes to mind is – here is real problem to be solved to make real money.
Need to find out a solution which can block spam mails and hence, make lives of a lot of people easier as snail mail if not dead is going to be soon extinct.
Google has a good way with "Report Spam" . It is not yet foolproof. Yahoo! does not have any! And MS will come after-wards only, after somebody does it!
It is like the proverbial cure for Cancer with no concrete form of cure so far. And we are seeing email since the birth of internet ! Or is there anything out there, which I do not know yet?
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Hi
I don't wonder because when I was working with Microsoft. I received a similar mail, telling Bill Gates is offering 1 Million USD for best performers. My name was also included in the list. But later we reported and scamster got caught.
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Ha, I don’t agree with it all but nice none-the-less
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I recently tracked down a scammer from new york and turned him in.I had the ip address and the exact location of this scammer and his personal phone number.I turned it all over to the authorities who in turn called the number and identified theirselves to this scammer.
I contacted the real people he was saying he was and come to find out he had ate lunch at the Blue Grotto Restaurant in New York and paid with his credit card,from which the scammers friend who just so happened to work there had gotten the Credit Card numbers and gave them to the scammer.He had sent me a check for several thousand from Best Buy LLC,in minnesota(who i contacted as well).
Needless to say the FBI did nothing as far as finding this guy,i found him and tracked everything related to this scam directly from the internet myself,including the address of his scammed establishment,the original owner of the name used,Credit Card,phone numbers,and address of the scammer and his exact location at the time of sending the emails,and his cell phone number.
Good thing i have around 26 email addresses,when i get the same email in several email addresses,i get started tracking.
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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST:
This guy packed his bags,moved out of the apartment, the next day his apartment was empty when i got hold of the office at the apartment complex.
I contacted the real person and the restaurant and the authorities.
After the scammer moved and sent another email to another email address i have, i sent the information of the exact location to the authorities again,THEY DID NOTHING!!
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AS OF 4-25-09,I have gotten another email from someone else and am in the process of tracking it now as i write this.
I have tracked the name Michael Wright and the email address to microsoft in redmond by taking the email apart and tracking the original ip address.I am still working on this 1 so it isnt something i can specifically say anything about just yet.But i have gotten a phone number and have contacted the real person and his company in the UK,and am currently awaiting a return call.
BUT,IT GOES TO SHOW THAT THE HIGH PAID PEOPLE SITTING IN THE OFFICES OF THE FBI ARENT EXACTLY DOING THEIR JOBS IF A NORMAL GUY LIKE ME CAN TRACK THIS CRAP DOWN FROM MY HOME PC AND THEY CANT WITH THEIR SOPHISTICATED PC'S AND ACCESS TO EVERYTHING.
DOES ANYONE EVER WONDER WHY THEY ARE ALL MOSTLY FATAS*ES,ITS BECAUSE THEY DONT DO WHAT THEY GET PAID TO DO,A LITTLE WORK GOES A LONG WAY.TOO BAD GUYS LIKE ME ARENT THERE FINDING THESE CLOWNS THAT WANNA SCAM EVERYONE.
I am entering a disposable email address to track any replies.It will be deleted in a couple of weeks and is used specifically for these posts.
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