EMAIL SCAM # 1 - Friendship Approach

The proliferation of email scams is just one of the dangers that is brought about by the World Wide Web. There are different types of email scam. However, to effectively help people to protect themselves from fraudulent online activities, it is important to given them specific illustration of how a real email scam example can be scrutinized.

Below is an example of an email scam (contents not edited) that used "friendship" as a tool in luring prospective victims. Wondering how will you know that this is a scam ? Please read the observation after the sample email scam.


With Due Respect And Humility I Write You This Message
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 1:45 PM
From: "QUIEN JELLO"
To: undisclosed-recipients

Dear Friend,

I,m a single . I come from Sierra leone.dear I,m interesting to be your friend after seeing your profile details here as i want to relocate to your area soonest .I need to hear from you and have something important to discuss with you . I need your help over my fund clearance and transfer for investment and will write you in details once i hear from you.and i will send more of my photos and ID for you to know me properly.

MY DATAS: MY NAME: MISS QUIEN JELO MY AGE: 24 YEARS MY OCCUPATION: MEDICAL STUDENT BEFORE THE WAR STARTED AND IN LEVEL 2 MARITAL STATUS: SINGLE AND NO BABY YET NATIONALITY: SIERRA LEONE MY FATHERS DATAS:HIS NAME: MR. PATEL JELO OCCUPATION: EXPORTER OF GOLD DURSTAGE BEFORE HIS DEATH : 52 NATIONALITY: SIERRA LEONE.

Amount he deposited in the finance company is valued $9.5 which i need your help for the clearance and transfer into your country where i want to relocate and have a good life I need your help for the clearance and transfer of the fund into your account for investment and want to let you know that am communicating you via public internet (CYBER CAFE) and presently in a small hotel and want to move out of this country as soon as the fund is out of here and your kind help is required.I have all the legal deposit document and will scan for you to see and understand me properly and my ID as well. can we talk about it you can send me mail Immediately Please walting for your Ugent responces .

Thanks And God Bless You
Quien Jello

Observation:

The sender of this email claims that she is Ms. Quien Jello from Sierra Leone. Let us take a look at her message from the shallow down to the deep.

Structure wise, this email contains many grammatical and spelling errors. By sentence construction analysis alone, one can already determine that this email is a plot because - the national language in Sierra Leone is English and a student of medicine, as Ms. Jello claims that she was before the war started, must at least be English proficient considering the quite long years of study - from primary to secondary to pre-medicine then to medicine proper. Based from this condition, one can already doubt the real identity of a certain Ms. Jello.

With regard to the substantive content, an appeal to friendship was used to lure the victim into a bogus financial proposal. By the tone of the message, the friendship offered maybe that of an intimate type, having mentioned that she is single, "NO BABY YET", interested in (mutual) friendship and willing to relocate at the prospective victim’s country. This email maybe most appropriately sent to a heterosexual male or lesbian than to a straight female like me. If Ms. Jello had truly viewed my profile, just like what she mentioned, she should have known something about me and my interests.

Detecting the authenticity of this email scam is not really that hard, isn’t it?