I keep getting an e-mail that I feel is definitely a fraud Where can I
report it? Would ;ike to send it to you so you can read it..Its really
quite comical. Thanks, Fran

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 31 May 2004 14:49 PDT

It would be helpful to know more about the email that you suspect to
be a fraud. Without more details, there's not much a Researcher can
do. "Fraud" is a mighty broad area that can cover everything from fake
penis-enlarging devices to elaborate bank scams.

I suggest that you post a copy of the email (with your personal data
removed, of course) so that we can have a better idea of what we're
dealing with.

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Clarification of Question by boopsie1-ga on 31 May 2004 15:52 PDT

Yes, I asked the question re; Fraud Is this what you need? Fran Michael

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 31 May 2004 16:02 PDT

Fran,

Unless we have some idea of what kind of fraud you're talking about, I
don't think we will be able to offer any useful advice. Please give us
a clue. If you don't want to post the entire email that you received,
at least describe it. Different kinds of frauds are handled in
different ways, and there is no single way to "report" all fraudulent
emails.

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Clarification of Question by boopsie1-ga on 03 Jun 2004 21:52 PDT

Thanks, Hillman-ga Think I'll take the time and write a form letter
that I will save and send to all of them! I love what you did and will
probably do something similar. But I really wish I could turn them in
to someone as I truly feel a lot of people out there fall for that
mess. I happen to know a very rather healthy 90 yr. old lady that is
very stubborn and will not listen to anyones advise and you should see
the mail she gets with people asking her for money thank goodness she
doesn't have a computor!

You could copy the email and put it here as a clarification to your
question, after omitting your details (your email address, etc.), of
course. That would give us a better idea on whom to contact on this
fraud.

I don't know how to copy it to this peticular sheet. I sent you an
e-mail addressed to answers-support@google.com with the case # 354399.
Did you receive it? Or tell me how to do the other, printing it to
this sheet please. Thanks, Fran

i the same email but a different situation, same money same loacation
same transaction wanted, i think it is spam so i never answered it and
deleted it

Well, i have also deleted a similar message before, but i think it
could be a very bad thing if some older person got an email like this
and followed thry with it..I do not take these things lightly thats
the reason I asked how I could report this. thank you , Fran

Yes, Fran, Such messages are fraudulent and they are VERY common, I've had DOZENS.

You did the right thing!

generically its known as 419 fraud.

have a look at http://www.secretservice.gov/financial_crimes.shtml

Thank you so much. Fran

I get about 10 419 letters per day. That rate used to be about 200 and
it dropped dramatically because I have a standard answer and it goes
like this:

At the very top of their email, I answer in the poositive and tell
them how excited and lucky I am to receive this lovely offer, I tell
them I have listed the information the want from me at the bottom of
the email but I make the top part very long and exciting for them.
They think they have sucked me in and of course, read all the nice
garabage I write at the top.

Then at the bottom, I tell them I have lied and hope they die very
soon. The drop off rate of the 419'ers is magnificent!

Hi, Hillman

I've exchanged correspondence with a couple of them, with my tongue
firmly in my cheek.

With one, I was even given a link to a bank account which showed
Millions of Dollars waiting just for me.

It is really amazing that anyone falls for this scam but, evidently, they do.

PB