Email Scam Example | WILLIAM L.W. CHEUNG | williamcheung_jp@yahoo.cn

Email Scam:

Good Day To You My Friend.

It is understandable that you might be a little bit apprehensive because you do not know me but I have a lucrative business proposal of mutual interest to share with you. I got your reference in my search for someone who suits my proposed business relationship.

 I am Mr. William Leung Wing Cheung a South Korean, happily married with children; i work as an Executive Director of Hang Seng Bank Ltd, Head of Personal Banking. I have a confidential business suggestion for you. I will need you to assist me in executing a business project from Hong Kong to your country. It involves the transfer of a large sum of money. Everything concerning this transaction shall be legally done without hitch. Please endeavour to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue.

Once the funds have been successfully transferred into your account, we shall share in the ratio to be agreed by both of us. I will prefer you reach me on my private email address below (williamcheung_jp@yahoo.cn) and finally after that I shall furnish you with more information's about this operation. Should you be interested, please forward the following to me urgently:

1. Full names  

2. Occupation

3. Private phone number

4. Current contact address

Please if you are not interested delete this email and do not hunt me because I am putting my career and the life of my family at stake with this venture. Although nothing ventured is nothing gained.

Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Mr William Leung Wing Cheung.JP

Hang Seng Bank Limited

Hong Kong. {Asia}

Email: - williamcheung_jp@yahoo.cn

Analysis of email scam:

1. First red flag - email sent to To: undisclosed-recipients; this usually indicates that the email is bcc (blind carbon copied) to a whole bunch of potential bank fraud and identity theft victims solicited through SPAM email scams. On a BCC email, it is not possible to see who else is receiving the email; there would be no need to do this is the email were legit and not a scam as it would be addressed to you, the selected one
2. The email address of the sender williancheung@fastwebmail.it is different that the reply-to email address williamcheung_jp@yahoo.cn
3. The goal of email scam like so many other email scams is to secure recipient trust and basic contact information; the beginning of the email tries to proactively address some common sense concerns including why am I receiving this unsolicited email?
4. The email then tries to build trust in the fictitious sender by providing an official title - Executive Director of Hang Seng Bank Ltd, Head of Personal Banking
5. Like all similar email scams, this instance plays on the recipients propensity for greed to entice them to provide the send of the email their banking details so that the funds can be transferred to your account - more like the funds will be transferred out of your account - can you say Bank Fraud!
6. Three times the email scam requests that the recipient to keep the offer confidential (" confidential business suggestion for you," "Please endeavour to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue," "Please if you are not interested delete this email and do not hunt me because I am putting my career and the life of my family at stake with this venture"); the last request for confidentiality even plays the guilt card by insinuating that by sharing the details of this incredible, legal offer could put the email scam sender's family at risk.

Please, never provide personal information to someone that is emailing you with a "confidential offer." If you are not expecting an email from somebody, then scrutinize it carefully. Always apply a good deal of common sense and remember, if it sounds to good to be true, then it is.