Beware of Scam E-Mail from a Foreign Country

Electronic-Mail has been a downright hassle to use while surfing the web. With over 80% of mail received in someone’s inbox being spam (unsolicited e-mail), there has been a spawn of new faceless criminals using spam to try to get money from people with e-mail accounts.

The latest trend involves e-mail coming from foreign countries in which alleged bankers tried to give back people money to so-called relatives of foreigners who have died overseas.

This is an actual letter addressed to a supposed person:

FROM THE DESK OF MR. G

UNIVERSAL TRUST BANK NIG. PLC

BILLS AND TREASURY DEPARTMENT 30/32 CREEK ROAD APAPA

LAGOS - NIGERIA.

Dear _____,

With presumed reliance, let me introduce myself. I am MR. G Manager Bills and Treasury Department with UNIVERSAL TRUST BANK NIG. PLC, I got your contact over the Internet in my search for the relatives of one of our numerous customers who died accidentally alongside with his family. During our routine check in my branch, I discovered an abandoned sum of ($15.8.M USD) Fifteen Million eight hundred United States Dollars in an account belonging to one of our foreign customers Mr. R, an expatriate that was working with one of the leading Oil Company in Nigeria before his accidental death alongside with his entire family on Saturday 4th May 2002 via the ill-fated EAS Airline Crash. This incident was highly publicized. You may visit the following websites to confirm this incident.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1968300.stm

http://www.usafricaonline.com/ngrkanocrash.html

Ever since then, several attempts have been made to locate hisrelatives without success. as he had no known relatives. More because he left his next of kin column in his account opening forms blank. I have been expecting his relatives or next of kin to come over and claim his money because it cannot be claimed unless somebody applies officially for it as his next of kin as indicated in our banking guide. unfortunately, I discovered that all his supposed next of kin (his wife and children) died with him over the plane crash incident. Over the years, I decided to look for the necessary papers relating to the deposit in order to make business out of it as the deposit was made in my branch. Now that all papers are ready, I am asking for your assistant to release the money to you as his relation/next of kin for safekeeping and subsequent disbursement. I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one worried and apprehensive but I am assuring you not to worry, as all will be well at the end of this endeavor.

Arrangements have been perfected for a smooth operation. Since nobody showed up for his money and I don't want it to go back into Federal Government account as unclaimed bill when the next audit is conducted. The banking law and guideline here stipulates that such money if remain unclaimed after, will be transferred into banking treasury as unclaimed effect. The request of a foreigner to act as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Nigerian cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner. You are most qualified in this transaction as you share the same name with the deceased.I am ready to negotiate the mode of  sharing with you. I will visit your country for the disbursement/investing of my share according to the percentages we agreed upon after the transfer of the money to your account.

I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is 100% hitch-free and that there is absolutely no risk at all in this as I have cocluded the modalities for a smooth operation and my positionguarantees its successful execution. All I require is your honest co-operation, a guarantee of your sincerity and capability to enable us conclude this deal.Due to the sensitive nature of this transaction, I advice that you maintain absolute confidentiality while it lasts.

Yours Sincerely,

MR. G

After going to the local bank, one of the webmaster’s associates found out that this was a total scam in which money would  have to been wired from one account to another in order to received the alleged millions. After the foreign banker received some money, then the transaction would have been cancelled.

In addition, by going on the company’s website there has been a news report that this scam has been going on for a while…Shell’s Press Release.

Therefore, just watch out when dealing with spam as alleged free money may cost a whole lot more than giving away your e-mail address.By the way, once the person sent back an e-mail saying that his claims were false, then the respondent allegedly from Nigeria has not sent back an e-mail. A scam about a supposed relative just dying and trying to make money off it...How sad!

Too Much Commercials on TV

Ad glut turns off viewers
By Gary Levin, USA TODAY

Please read the article from USA Today about television ads before reading this response.

Television networks have been centered more often lately on making more commercial dollars than actual good programming. With numerous shows being submitted into the Fall season line-up every year, at least over half the shows are not renewed for the following year. For example: the NBC show “Inconceivable” which only lasted two episodes on Friday night before being yanked off the air for another repeat of a “Law & Order” program.

Almost within the past five years, commercials take up about 1/3 of an allotted time slot.

While recording some of my favorite sitcoms and dramas, the webmaster has noticed how long these shows last on average.

The NBC sitcom, “The Office,” averages about 21 minutes of air-time while showing nine minutes worth of commercials. In addition, through time many veteran shows have gone through a transformation in time of the actual show and commercials.

In 1994, the NBC drama, “ER” had episodes last on average about 46 minutes; however, now in it’s twelfth season on NBC, “ER” episodes last about 42 minutes and the show starts a minute earlier at 9:59 PM to add another minute for commercial ads.

For many viewers, it’s a challenge to get into a storyline with 7 minutes of programming then followed by another 3 minutes worth of commercials in one setting.

But wait, there’s even more ads. Most broadcast networks and channels add captions at the bottom of the screen almost every time a show gets back on the air to promote another program coming on later that night.

Then, of course, there’s product placement in a show in which the writer’s have to find a way to creatively market a product while remaining in the storyline. For example, a character on a show describing in full detail all the facts about buying his new car describing the features and talking about the brand.

As a result, many viewers just wait for their favorite shows to go on DVD so they do not have to be bombarded with all the ads. Case in point, the FOX animated series “Family Guy,” from being cancelled to being renewed for more seasons due to high DVD sales.

For the best example of commercial advertising is the FOX ratings hit, “American Idol.” A 30 second commercial for the upcoming season will cost over $1 million dollars. Now that’s raking it in when you see Simon Cowell drink a Coca-Cola drink at the judges table while the contestants drive around the Los Angeles area in their blue, Ford SUV while text messaging each other on a Cingular Wireless phone.

It’s not like cable channels have shown less commercials since people pay more money on the television bills to receive these channels. Like on the MTV show, “Total Request Live” (“TRL”) just showing a music video for about 30 seconds with a teenage girl giving a shout-out in the middle of the video and a scroll on the bottom reminding the viewers about upcoming shows and events for the artist. Then, they show about 6 minutes worth of ads until they bring on some celebrity to plug their next project.

The webmaster just wonders what will advertisers come up with next. Maybe with those new computer chip tracking devices, companies can monitor what consumers spend their money on in the future.