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.
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.
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