Bogus FBI E-mail

News release from the FBI:

Bogus “FBI Funds Notifications” E-Mails 

FBI BaltimoreFebruary 13, 2012

Special Agent Rich Wolf(410) 265-8080

The Baltimore FBI office is receiving a large number of telephone calls concerning e-mails supposedly from the FBI Director, the Baltimore Special Agent in Charge, or other top Bureau officials. These e-mails claim that you are the “rightful beneficiary” of large sums of money wired from the Central Bank of Nigeria but intercepted by the FBI and that you can release the funds by obtaining your “Diplomatic Immunity Seal of Transfer” through the Baltimore FBI office. The e-mails also threaten legal action against you, including arrest and detention, if you do not comply.

These e-mails are not from the FBI and entirely fraudulent. Please do not respond to them or contact our office. Instead, please report this scam to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Below is an example of one of these e-mails (and note the many grammatical errors):

ATTENTION BENEFICIARY:

This is to officially inform you that it has come to our notice; the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) that the sum of $8.3 Million U.S Dollars is here in the United State of America in your name wired to you from the Central Bank of Nigeria but was intercepted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in Baltimore (Maryland) U.S.A. That is why we have decided to contact you directly to acquire the proper verifications and proof from you to show that you are the rightful owner of the fund, because the above mentioned amount is a huge amount of money, we want to make sure that money you are about to receive is legal and we need to verify that you are not involved in any terrorist movement and money laundry.

It has already been confirmed in your name, your funds and all other legal documents are right now in our custody in WASHINGTON D.C UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, waiting to be released to you, we have verified and Investigated that you are the rightful beneficiary to claim the funds, all we need from you is verification and proof by providing to this office the Hard Copy of your Diplomatic Immunity Seal of Transfer (DIST) due to the huge amount of money.

As a matter of national security, we are to serve and to protect the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The only advice we can give to you as at this time is to provide the required document so that your funds will be release to you, this funds are rightfully yours. If you do not have this documents in your possession, which I don’t think you do not have, You can obtain it from the FBI Special Agent in Charge in Baltimore (Maryland) here in the United States, using the following information:

Richard A. McFeely
FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE
INVESTIGATIONS DEPARTMENT
BALTIMORE (MARYLAND) U.S.A
E-mail: investigationsunit@usa.com
PHONE: 410-265-8080 (Voice)
410-277-6677 (Fax)

We have done our verification on your FBI Identification Record and checked your criminal records, the only documents remaining now is the Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer(DIST) to “certisy” to us that the money you are about to receive is free from Terrorism and Money Laundry act and it is rightfuly yours.

You are to scan and forward the documents to us immediately if you have it with you, but if you don’t have it, you can get it from the FBI Special Agent in charge in Baltimore (Maryland) here in the States, you are to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Baltimore (Maryland) to obtain the above required document.

An FBI Identification Record and Diplomatic Immunity Seal of Transfer (DIST) are often referred to as a Criminal History Record or Rap Sheet, is a listing of certain information taken from fingerprint submissions retained by the FBI in connection with arrests and, in some instances, federal employment, citizenship, or military service.

An individual may request a copy of his or her own FBI Identification Record for personal review or to challenge information on the Record. Other reasons an individual may request a copy of his or her own Identification Record may include international adoption or to certify a requirement to live or work in a foreign country ( i.e., Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer, letter of good conduct, criminal history background, etc.).

NOTE: We have asked for the above documents to be made available the most complete and up-to date records possible for no criminal justice purposes before your fund could be released to you. You are here by advice to Contact the FBI in Baltimore (Maryland), through the e-mail address above to inquire from them on how you are going to get the required document if not in your possession at present.

You are to do this immediately if you really want your fund to be released to you and also if you do not want any legal action to be taken on you. We have already informed the FBI in Baltimore (Maryland) about the present situation, so go ahead and contact the FBI Special Agent in charge immediately.

Your fund is now in our custody and will only be released to you upon the confirmation of your Diplomatic Immunity Seal of Transfer (DIST) documents, after that the fund will be released to you immediately without any delay.

WARNING: Failure to produce the above requirement in the next 48 hours, legal action will be taken immediately by arresting and detaining you, justificatory and if found guilty, you will be jailed for ancillary support to terrorist, drug trafficker and money launderer. I believe you know this is a serious offense in the United States of America today. The F.B.I will not stop at any length in tracking down and persecuting any criminal who indulges in this criminal acts.

CONTACT HIM IMMEDIATELY FOR HIS ASSISTANCE IN GETTING YOU A DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY SEAL OF TRANSFER (DIST) AND GET BACK TO US, SO THAT YOUR FUNDS CAN BE AUTHORIZED FOR FINAL RELEASED TO YOU.

FBI DIRECTOR
ROBERT S. MULLER

FTC Terminates Employment Scam

News release from the FTC:

For Release: 01/31/2012

FTC Action Terminates Nationwide Employment Scam

Agency Cautions Consumers: Be Wary of Job Offers that Charge Fees

An operation that allegedly deceived consumers with bogus promises of nonexistent sales jobs will be banned from marketing any employment products or services under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.
The proposed settlement order against National Sales Group and other defendants resolves FTC charges filed as part of a crackdown on scammers who falsely promise employment opportunities to financially distressed consumers. According to the FTC's complaint, the defendants advertised on CareerBuilder.com and other online job boards, and their telemarketers falsely told consumers they recruited for Fortune 1000 employers and had a unique ability to get them interviewed and hired.

The FTC complaint alleged that the defendants charged fees, purportedly for background checks and other services, and often overcharged, taking $97 from consumers who had agreed to pay $29 or $38. The defendants also allegedly charged some consumers recurring fees of $13.71 or more per month without their consent. At the FTC's request, in February 2011, the court halted the allegedly illegal practices and froze the defendants' assets pending litigation.

Under the proposed settlement order, Anthony J. Newton, National Sales Group, and I Life Marketing LLC, also doing business as Executive Sales Network and Certified Sales Jobs, are banned from selling employment products or services. They and co-defendant Jeremy S. Cooley are permanently prohibited from misrepresenting material facts about any product or service, and from violating the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule, including misrepresenting the benefits of a good or service or misrepresenting that any person is affiliated with or endorsed by another person or government entity. The defendants also are barred from violating the Rule by billing consumers without their consent and failing, during calls, to clearly and promptly disclose the seller's identity, the call's purpose, and the nature of the goods or services.

The order also bars the defendants from selling or using customers' personal information, failing to properly dispose of customer information, and attempting to collect payments from past customers. In addition, the order imposes a $13 million judgment that will be suspended once Newton has paid $279,000, terminated a lease on a 2009 Mercedes-Benz, and surrendered his interest in a residence in Huntington Beach, California. The full judgment will be imposed immediately if the defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition.

The Commission vote approving the proposed consent order was 4-0. It is subject to court approval. The FTC filed the proposed consent order in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

For more information, read Job Hunting-Job Scams.