Select Page
Reissuance of Your Upgraded ATM Debit Card

Reissuance of Your Upgraded ATM Debit Card

Aug 1, 2022 | Phishing Email With No Link

Sometime back I received an email with the subject line that said – Reissuance of your upgraded ATM Debit Card. The email was from one Mr. Mike Spellman. He offered me an upgraded Debit Card. I don't know why.

You'll find below my communicatuion with Mr. Mike Spellman. My comments within his email are in red.

Email stating Reissuance of your upgraded ATM Debit Card

From: Mr Mike Spellman <atmcard33212@gmail.com> Sent: 23 October 2021 03:02

To: undisclosed-recipients: (Red herring indicating phishing email)

Subject: Re-Issuance of Your Upgraded ATM Debit Card Nos; 5416557102001951.(Total Value: US$5,390,000 only. You Can Withdraw Funds Anywhere) (All such emails that offer huge sums of money out of the blue are devil sent)

Card Issuer/Securities Services;

International Banking Department

ATM Regulatory & Compliance Board

Email:atmbenincard86@aol.com

Tel: +22961960428

Our ref: IMF/T/ATM/COMP/14-CI

Re-Issuance of Your Upgraded ATM Debit Card Nos; 5416557102001951.(Total Value: US$5,390,000 only. You Can Withdraw Funds Anywhere)

Dear , (Dear what? You don't know my name and are offering me more than 5 Million dollars!)

The Audit & De (??)

After we have rbt (??) Reconciliation Commission has undertaken an independent performance audit with the authority contained in the IMF/World Bank Auditor-General Act 1997.

Following the performance audit for the year ended 22 october 2021, (year ended 22 on October 2021 – er… what does that mean?) while going through the files, we discovered that a part-payment fund; US$5.3Million that was processed in your favor by MasterCard (ATM Debit Card) in 2021 in the following manner and was not released to you.

For more detailed information concerning this payment, Contact us with your full information's via (atmbenincard86@aol.com) (why not to the email address from which you are writing?) Or call at

+22961960428.

eceived (why did you eat the r?) your reply, we will instruct the card issuing bank to re-process and re-load your DEBIT cards, funds will be available on the cards in minutes, which will be dispatched to your designated address. We will oversee the delivery of the cards to you through our registered and official courier. Get back to us as soon as possible.

Congratulations.

Mr Mike Spellman

Reissuance of your upgraded ATM Debit Card is a suspicious Email

As I have previously mentioned , any email that is addressed to undisclosed-recipients: makes me suspicious. The sender is Phishing for someone to take the bait.

This email however had no links. Just an email address to reply to.

So, I “took” the bait as is my wont, and wrote back to Mr. Mike Spellman as directed.

My reply to Reissuance of your upgraded ATM Debit Card Email

To: atmbenincard86@aol.com

Sat, 23 Oct, 2021 at 1:58 pm

Hello Mike

Thank you for your email. And letting me know that MasterCard has approved an ATM Card for me.

Please let me bow (I can also make spelling mistakes) how i can get the card.

Sanjeev

I received an elaborate reply from Mr. Mike Spellman.

The email contained information about my personal details that he wanted before letting me know how I could lay my hands on the upgraded card.

Email received in response to my email

ATM Department & Regulatory Board Authority <atmbenincard86@aol.com>
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.com (my email that I have censored)

Mon, 25 Oct, 2021 at 12:33 pm

Card Issuer/Securities Services;
International Banking Department
ATM Regulatory & Compliance Board
Email
Tel: +22969445915 (Country code is Benin)
Our ref: IMF/T/ATM/COMP/14-CI

Attn Beneficiary

I am Mr. Mike Spellman , Director of the ATM Release Department of the United Bank for Africa {UBA} Plc Benin. This is to acknowledge the receipt of your email in respect with the provision act of decree 114 of the 1999 constitution; (with that one comment, he gave away the fact that he is a member of Nigerian scammers. 1999 constitution is mainly Nigerian one)  I am directed to inform you that your payment verification and confirmations are correct. (What payment verifications and confirmations did I give in my elail to him?) Therefore, we are happy to inform you that arrangements have been concluded to effect the delivery of your ATM Debit Card in our bid to transparency. (What English is that?)

It's my pleasure and honor to inform you that your ATM Card Number; 5416557102001951 has been approved and uploaded in your favor. Your Personal Identification Pin Number( 2900). The ATM Card Value is $5.390.000.00 ( Five Million, Three Hundred And Ninety Thousand United State Dollars only ) and you are advised that a maximum withdrawal value of $20,000 USD is permitted on withdrawal per day and we are duly Inter Switch which you can use to make withdrawal in any location and ATM Center of your choice. (I give up on grammer, but yes I understand the essense of what you are saying. I can withdraw at most 20,000 dollars per day. That will take me almost 9 months to withdraw all the cash that you have uploaded on my ATM card)

Please note that your ATM Debit Card is well packaged and cannot be opened because it was protected with a hard cover of an insurance policy which makes it impossible for it to be used by any individual except you who is the rightful beneficiary. (what is hard cover of an insurance policy that makes packaging impossible to open? Perils of online transalation!)

DESCRIPTION OF ATM DEBIT CARD:

ATM card/original certificate of weight :…………..0.20kg
Bonded draft of weight :……………………….. …………….0.17kg
Total weight of parcel :……………………….. ……….0.37kg
Color of Parcel :……………………….. …………….. Dark Brown
Length of days :……………………….. …………………….. 48hours
Delivery Type:……………………. …………..Premium Service
Delivery Status:………………….. ………..Virtual Pending

You are advised to provide us with the following information for you to commence the delivery of the card to your home address as agreed with the United Nations and the International Monetary Funds .

Kindly re-confirm to them the followings:

Your Full Name: ______________________________
Your Complete Address (Physical Address with Zip Code not P.O.BOX) :
______________________________
Name of City of Residence:____________________ ___________
Country:______________________ ______________
Direct Telephone Number:_______________________ ____________
Mobile Number:_______________________ _____________
Nearest airport:______________________ __________
Working Identity Card/Int'l Passport:_____________________ ___________
Occupation:________________ Position_______________

Thanks for your co operations

Regards
Mr. Mike Spellman,
Director ATM Card Payment Center

Your Consignment Has Been Released

Your Consignment Has Been Released

Jul 29, 2022 | Phishing Email With No Link

Sometime back I received an email stating “Your Consignment Has Been Released.” The email was supposedly from Christopher Magnus, The commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection telling me that they have a consignment for me with 3.5 Million US Dollars!

Your Consignmnet has been released

From: Christopher Magnus <info@custom.com> Sent: 14 February 2022 01:48

Subject: YOUR CONSIGNMENT HAS BEEN RELEASED

U.S. Customs and Border protection Enforcement Office of Investigations SAC Offices SAC Washington, DC

2675 Prosperity Avenue

Fairfax, VA 22031

Email address: us.customs111@aol.com

Attention Fund Beneficiary

We have been instructed to release your Consignment Box containing the sum of$3.5million, that this Unit of U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized, which has been in our custody for a long time due to your inability to provide the Clearance certificates, which you were asked to obtain from Africa where the fund was transferred from.

You were fortunate that after our investigation last year the US Department of States instructed that we should release all the funds that U.S.Customs and Border Protection seized to their owners in this first quarter of the year 2022, you are therefore advised to come or send your representative to this office to claim your fund immediately.

You are advised to comply immediately, Below is the office address.

U.S.Customs and Border Protection.

Office of Investigations SAC Offices

SAC Washington, DC

2675 Prosperity Avenue

Fairfax, VA 22031

For more inquiry reply to this email: us.customs111@aol.com

Urgent to get back to us.

Faithfully Yours

Christopher Magnus

The commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Your Consignment Has Been Released is a Phishing Email Based on a True Fact

Any email that is addressed to undisclosed-recipients: makes me suspicious. The sender is Phishing for someone to take the bait.

This email however had no links. Just an email address to reply to.

I am also intrigued by the fact that most such emails have some true facts. In this case – Christopher Magnus, The commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

A quick google search gave me the following information – Christopher Magnus is indeed the commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He was previously chief of police in Tucson, Arizona; Fargo, North Dakota; and Richmond, California. The US Customs and Border Protection website however mentions the name as Chris Magnus.

Chris Magnus

The scammer tries to win the trust by adding a true fact. In this case the name of the Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This however does not take away from the fact that that this is a fraudulent email.

Please note 2 things about such fraudulent emails:

1. It is to undisclosed recipients. Sure sign of fraud.

2. Reply to email us.customs111@aol.com is different from the from email: info@custom.com

As is my wont, to understand the scammer's modus-operandi,  I replied as below:

My reply to your consignemnet has been released email

To: us.customs111@aol.com
Mon, 14 Feb at 12:52 pm

Dear Christopher,

Ref: Your consignment has been released

Many thanks for your email informing me about my consignment. I did not receive any request for proving clearance certificate.

I am happy and thankful to you for helping me get the funds. I am currently in India. It will take me sometime to come to your office as I'll have to make travel arrangements. Covid situation also does not help.

If I send my bank details, will it be possible to transfer funds to my account? In case I am not able to come to your office, that is.

best regards

Peter Parker

No reply yet!

I am waiting for the reply.

Will keep you informed if I do.

Are You Dead Or Alive?

Are You Dead Or Alive?

Jul 27, 2022 | My Email Communications, Phishing Email With No Link

Today, I received an email from Mr. Godwin of Central Bank of Nigeria wanting to know if I was Dead or Alive? If I was alive, I could get 27 million US Dollars! The email correspondence that I had with him is reproduced below. My comments about the content are in bold and red. Enjoy!

—–Original Message—– From: CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA <mustapha123456789m12@gmail.com> Sent: 18 February 2022 03:50

To: undisclosed-recipients (Caution antenna on since the email is not addressed specifically to me) : Subject: ATTN: BENEFICIARY,ARE YOU DEAD OR ALIVE?URGENT RESPONSE REGARDING YOUR FUND PAYMENT OF $27,000,000.00 ( TWENTY SEVEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS )</mustapha123456789m12@gmail.com> (Please note the sender email)

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)

TINUBU SQUARE CUSTOM STREET,

MARINA RD, LAGOS ISLAND, LAGOS.

FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT.

CONTRACT #: MAV/NNPC/FGN/MIN/013,

SWIFT CODE: CBNINGLA,

A/C#: 329606=101244=169=678

OUR REF: CBN/IRD/CBX/021/11.

GREETINGS FROM THE BOARD AND MANAGEMENT OF CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA ( CBN ) URGENT RESPONSE REGARDING YOUR FUND APPROVED PAYMENT OF

$27,000,000.00 ( TWENTY SEVEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS )

Attention: Beneficiary,

Are you dead or Alive? This is to alert you that your name and email address is on the Central Computer among the list of unpaid contractors, Inheritance next of kin, Compensation fund and lotto beneficiaries that originated from Africa ( Nigerian Government ) Europe, Asia Plus Middle East, Americans ) Among the list of individuals you are a beneficiary to receive an inheritance fund worth the sum of $27,000,000.00 ( TWENTY SEVEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS

) which has been approved by the Federal Government and deposited into our Bank for your immediate payment but We need your urgent confirmation to this Bank today because in our Bank there was a presence of One Mr. Felix B. Garcia Jr of 94-941 Kauolu place, A-402, Waipahu, HI 96797 USA filing an application contrary to your fund worth the sum of $27,000,000.00 ( TWENTY SEVEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS ) which has been approved and deposited into our Bank for your immediate payment. The above mentioned person ( Mr. Felix B. Garcia Jr of 94-941 Kauolu place, A-402, Waipahu, HI 96797 USA ) visited this Bank today with a power of attorney given in his favor by you stating that you are dead and you granted him the benefit to process and claim your inheritance fund of $27,000,000.00 ( TWENTY SEVEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS ) with this Bank for personal reasons, He further stated that he is ready to pay up every necessary fee involve to complete the wire transfer of your fund into his account that the online account will be terminated while your fund should be wired direct into his own Bank account below in American Savings Bank immediately.

Bank Name: American Savings Bank.

Account Number # 3101773052

Routing Number# 321370765

Account Name# Felix B. Garcia Jr.

The management of this Bank wish to know from you today, Did you know this man? Your confirmation to the above will be appreciated as we look forward to hear from you soon if you are still alive before the commence of the transfer of your fund into Mr. Felix B. Garcia Jr provided bank account, As the new Governor of this Noble Bank, I was supposed to Release this Funds to Mr. Felix B. Garcia Jr today but i refused to do so because I wanted to hear from you first to know if truly you are dead or still alive because due to the Nature of my job i will not want to make any mistake in Releasing this Funds to anyone except you whom is the Recognized beneficiary to this Funds therefore i instructed Mr. Felix B. Garcia Jr to come back to this Bank in the next 24 Hours for me to make inquiries and further investigations if you are truly dead. You are advise to quickly call me on my phone number +23481-2675-0353 and reply back immediately once you receive this email, As soon as i receive your urgent response to this Bank today that you are still alive i will quickly proceed with the Processing of your fund transfer payment into your own account or any other means which you will desire to receive your fund because it has been approved for your immediate payment. I look forward to hear from you as soon as possible in this Bank today.

BEST REGARDS,

MR. GODWIN EMEFIELE,

GOVERNOR OF CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)

Question – Is this a Fradulent Email?

Oh, 100%. As I have mentioned many times in the past, any email that is addressed to undisclosed-recipients: makes me suspicious. The sender is Phishing for someone to take the bait. It is a fraudulent email for sure.

Another thing to note here is that the email has been sent at 3.50 am! Which bank employee works at that time?

Even if the 3.50 am is time as per my location -India it translates to 11.20 pm Nigeria time. 11.30 at night? Who works at that time? Such dedication.

The only thing that is true about the email is the name of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria – Godwin  Emefiele. A quick google search confiemd that Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria is indeeed Godwin  Emefiele. 

I am always amazed at the extent to whch the phisher goes to try and make the emails authentic.

The question that needs to asked is – why would the Governor of a Central Bank send email from a gmail account. In this case the email is from “mustapha123456789m12@gmail.com”.

Why??

Because it is a fraud email.

This email however had no links. Just an email address to reply to.

I replied.

To: centralbnkngfundpayment@aol.com (Please note that the reply to email is different from the email from which the email came)

Fri, 18 Feb at 1:28 pm

Dear Mr. Godwin Emefiele,

I am writing this email to confirm to you that I am ALIVE. I do not know anyone by the name of Mr. Felix B. Garcia Jr. The only Felix I know is my cat.

This Mr. Felix B. Garcia Jr sounds like a fraud. I am ALIVE and KICKING and HEALTHY. Yes, I was down with Covid for sometime, but I am not DEAD.

I have not given any power of attorney to him or anyone to claim my money. I implore you to have him arrested as soon as he comes to your bank today. Show him my email and tell him that I am alive.

I am really very thankful to you Mr. Godwin for doing this noble task of confirming about my well being and due diligence. You are a true banker – someone who can be trusted totally.

Also under no circumstance should you transfer the money to any of this fraud's account.
Do let me know how I can get my 27 Million US Dollars?

best regards

Sanjiv

I received a reply from “Mr. Godwin – The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria” as given below:

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA <centralbnkngfundpayment1@aol.com>
To: Have deleted my eamil id

Fri, 18 Feb at 3:33 pm

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)
TINUBU SQUARE CUSTOM STREET,
MARINA RD, LAGOS ISLAND, LAGOS.
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT.
CONTRACT #: MAV/NNPC/FGN/MIN/013,
SWIFT CODE: CBNINGLA,
A/C#: 329606=101244=169=678
OUR REF: CBN/IRD/CBX/021/11.

GREETINGS FROM THE BOARD AND MANAGEMENT OF CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA ( CBN ) URGENT RESPONSE REGARDING YOUR FUND APPROVED PAYMENT OF $27,000,000.00 ( TWENTY SEVEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS )

Attention: Beneficiary,

Thank you for your urgent response to this Bank regarding your fund worth the sum of $27,000,000.00 ( TWENTY SEVEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS ) which has been approved and deposited into our Bank for your immediate payment, I have received the statement of your email and it is well understood, Firstly i want to start by saying thank God you are still alive (wow! man did you read my email or is it auto respondor based email?)  to receive your fund and you did not know or authorized Mr. Felix B. Garcia Jr of 94-941 Kauolu place, A-402, Waipahu, HI 96797 USA to claim your inheritance fund with this Bank which means he is a fraudster therefore we will arrest him and hand him over to the Police for trying to fraud this Bank so he will be sentence to prison according to the law and constitution. (I think he has read my email and is respondng to my suggestion of arresting Mr. Felix)

Meanwhile We had a general board meeting in our Bank today regarding this present situation and since you are still alive to receive this fund i hereby officially notifying you about the present arrangement to pay you as i have been appointed to take in-charge of your fund payment here in this Bank during the general board meeting we have decided to make this payment direct to you whom is the rightful beneficiary of this fund through the two following options below which you have to choose one option on how you will desire to receive your fund and quickly follow up the procedure for your immediate fund payment.

Option ( 1 ) Through Bank To Bank Wire Transfer: This is a direct electronic transfer that will enable you receive the sum of money in your bank account that you will provide for this Bank to effect the transfer as it is always done electronically. It will take 24 hours being one (1) working day to reflect into your account.

Option ( 2 ) Through ATM CARD Payment: We will convert your fund into an ATM MASTER CARD and send it to you for you to receive the ATM MASTER CARD this will take 48 hours being two (2) working days to be deliver to your doorstep. We will have to use our courier company to deliver the ATM CARD parcel direct to your location home address for you to receive the ATM CARD and start making use of it in making withdraw of your fund in any Atm machine in your country and all over the world. You can also be able to make use of the ATM CARD in making transfer of your fund by your self into your own Bank account.

You are hereby advise to quickly choose one option on how you will desire to receive your fund and respond back to this Bank today, Any option you choose now among the two we will start processing on it then you will need to comply for the proceed of your fund payment without any further delay, If you desire to receive your fund through BANK WIRE transfer quickly respond back to this Bank and provide or reconfirm to us your personal information such as your Full Name, Location home address and your banking details where you will desire to receive your fund for an accurate transfer into your account. If you desire to receive your fund through ATM CARD payment kindly provide your personal information such as your Full Name and your location home address for the delivery to your home, The information required from you is such as below.

Your Name In Full:……………………….
Country And Location Home Address:……………………..
Private Telephone Numbers:…………………
Occupation:………………
A Copy Of Your Identity Card:…………….
Age/Sex:………………………..
Bank Name:……………………….
Bank Location Address:……………………………
Account Name:…………………………….
Account Number:…………………………
Next of Kin:…………………………….

Kindly choose one option on how you will like to receive your fund and quickly respond back to this Bank today with the required information for us to proceed with your fund payment without any further delay, Thank you for your kind understanding, I look forward to hear from you as soon as possible today.

BEST REGARDS,
MR. GODWIN EMEFIELE,
GOVERNOR OF CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)
PHONE NUMBER: +23481-2675-0353.