You too can get a Government grant worth £12000 all you need do is send away for a £3.95 kit, neglecting to mention that you then have to pay $79.96 per month! Yes you’ve guessed it, its a variation of the Google Ads Scam.

Now it has to be said that Governments often do have a lot of Grant Schemes that it may be possible for you to take advantage of. However, I also think you will be able to get better and cheaper advice elsewhere.

In terms of this “scheme” it is set up like the Google Ads one where the advert takes the form of a fake Blog, which in my case was called Erin’s Grant Blog. The advert has the normal rubbish about how the program changed their life, is tailored to your geographical location and has the standard fake complimentary comments.

The Link in the Advert took me to SuccessGrants.com though the Terms and Conditions of the advert referenced Grantsmoney.com indicating that they are part of the same scheme. I found the following part of the SuccessGrants.com front page particularly amusing given what they are doing.

As normal the true cost of the scheme is hidden in the Terms And Conditions which have a nasty surprise for anyone taken in by this scheme as it costs alot more than whatever the nominal charge is on a monthly basis.

Billing

To activate your trial membership to Government Funded Grants you will be charged a $2.95 refundable processing fee and then you can immediately take advantage of the exciting information Government Funded Grants has to offer! After your 1-day trial period it’s just $79.86 per month for Government Funded Grants. Remember, you can chat with live operator by calling 866-437-1621 within 1 day to cancel, and you will not be charged. To ensure continuous service, at the end of your trial period your membership will be automatically charged each month at the then-current membership fee on or about that same date to the credit card you provide today. If for any reason you are dissatisfied, chat with a live operator, and you’ll no longer be charged. All offers come with a monthly newsletter.

From this it can be seen that things are getting even worse as the trial period in this case is only 1 day, yes you have only 1 day to cancel your package before you are charged the small total of $79.86 a month

As normal the best thing you can do is ignore the advert and remember the golden rule that if something sounds too good to be true it probably is, especially regarding receiving lots of money for little effort.

From the junk e-mail box comes a chance to steal $1.5 million due to receiving an e-mail that was not meant to be sent to me OR it could be an attempt to steal personal details and money through a scam, personally I “think” it is a scam.

From: GOODWILL WILLIAMS [mailto:goodwillwilliams2222@msn.com]
Subject: From GOODWILL WILLIAMS(ESQ) verification no: (PX002)

From GOODWILL WILLIAMS(ESQ) verification no: (PX002)

Good Day!

I have been waiting for you since to come down here and pick your Cashiers Cheque but did not hear from you since that time. So i went to the bank to confirm if the draft is getting close to expire and the Manager of the bank told me that before the draft will get to your address that it will expire. Then I told him to help me and cash the bank draft of $1.5 million to cash payment.

However, The Bank Manager have successfully cashed the draft and packaged your Cash in a Diplomatic Cargo box and had registered it in the FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY here in Benin Republic because i am travelling to see my boss and will not come back soon.

You have to contact FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY to know when they will deliver your package to your address.

CONTACT FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY WITH THE INFORMATION BELOW/

NAME: DR BRENDON DEMAS

CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS: +229-93461582

E-MAIL: (fedexpre_sbenrep@sify.com <mailto:fedexpre_sbenrep@sify.com> )

Please, Send them your contacts information to able them locate you immediately they arrived in your country with your Diplomatic BOX.

This is the information they need from you.

1. YOUR FULL NAME.

2. YOUR HOME ADDRESS.

3. YOUR CURRENT MOBILE NUMBER.

4. YOUR VERIFICATION CODE – (PX002)

Try to contact FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY as soon as possible to enable them release your consignment to you. I gave them your delivering address but you have to reconfirm it to them again to avoid any mistake in the delivery.

I have paid for the delivering charges. Also ask them how much the insurance fees will cost you. The only money you have to send to them is their INSURANCE FEE to receive your package which will be a token. I could have paid for the insurance fees, but due to some prevailing circumstance beyond my control.

Note; I didn’t tell FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY that it’s money inside the box, I registered it as a package of an African cloths/Family Valuables. This is to avoid delaying or any upfront problem during the delivery, So do not let them know that the package contents money inside until you have received it in your house address, this is the code which you will send to them for verifications (PX002).

You call the Director of the company with this line: +229-93461582

Do let me know as soon as you received your package. Contact me by email as i am travelling out side the country today.

Best Regards,

GOODWILL WILLIAMS(ESQ)

The scammers seem to work in waves, some days I have a load of bank phishing attempts and others a lot of 419 scams, and at the moment it seems to be the turn of the 419.

I always find it amusing when they refer to “me” as reliable and trustworthy or words to that effect when they are trying to convince me to do something totally unethical. Given that they ask for a photo I take it they are going for identity theft as well as trying to con money for a “bank transfer costs”

From: Robert Maurice [mailto:robmau13@msn.com]
Subject: Read and understand.

Bill & Exchange Manager!

Bank of Africa Annex,

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Firstly’ I must solicit for your confidence in this transaction; this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential. Although I know that a transaction of this magnitude could make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the deal. I have decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction, however let me start by introducing myself properly to you. I am “

Mr. Robert Maurice” Manager of Bill & Exchange department at Bank of Africa Annex here in Ouagadougou-Burkina Faso.

I discovered your credentials and email contact in my private search through the internet for a reliable and reputable person who will handle this confidential Project which involves transfer of a huge sum of money to a Foreign Account and it requires maximum confidence to execute this Project. I feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business through this medium, though this medium (Internet) has been greatly abused, I choose to reach you through this medium because it still remain the fastest medium of communication. This correspondence is unofficial and private, and it should be treated as such.

HERE IS THE PREPOSITION;

A Foreigner who met his untimely Death in Thailand Plane Clash was banking with us at the Bank of Africa Annex here in Ouagadougou; as at the end of September 2007 he had a closing balance worth of $14,500.000.00 (Fourteen Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars).After going into deep investigations/verifications i had discovered that HASSAN died on Sunday 16th September 2007, in a plane clash. For more details & information please visit: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6997381.stm).

Bank of Africa annex now expect the beneficiary to come for the claim of the fund but a lot of effort had been made without success, the perceived possibility of not been able to locate any of the depositor next of kin is due to he had no wife neither he had a child, base upon this fact i have decided to contact you so you can stand as the next of kin and beneficiary to our deceased customer fund since nobody is coming for the claim of the fund, and i don’t want this fund to go into our country treasury as unclaimed fund, that is the major reason why i contacted you, due to the law imposed by the British prime minister GORDON BROWN  in world press conference on the 6th of December 2005, at 12:18 GMT, for more information about the prime minister decision on dormant account visit: http://news.bcc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4017381.stm

Why i need you to stand as the next of kin to our deceased customer fund, it is because you are a foreigner and the late depositor of this fund was a foreigner, i want you to understand that all information for you to apply for this fund to enable Bank of Africa annex release the fund to you and also to prove that you are the next of kin to our deceased customer fund is available, so now i seek your permission to stand as the next of kin to this fund, because it is due to your acceptance to partake in this transaction that will enable things work out smoothly, 40% will be for you and 50% for me why 10% will be set aside for any expenses that occurs before the release and transfer of the fund into your account.

I will furnish you with every necessary information you will use in applying to the bank for the release and tranfers of the fund,  please do not make undue of the trust that i have bestowed in you, if it is acceptable by you from your heart don’t hesitate to provide me with this requires” Your Picture, Your direct telephone number, Home address, and your Occupation, awaiting to receive your positive response.

Best regards,

Mr. Robert Maurice.

Another Day, another Phish in my Junk mail folder and todays offering we have 3 claiming to be from the Halifax, including one which does not even go to the effort of putting a bank logo on the top. Once again a quick conversion to text from HTML proves that all the e-mails are fake. Though I have to admit the third e-mail has a very good false address highlighted to fool unwary people into clicking on it.

For Reference the Halifax Anti-Phishing Page

From: Halifax Bank [mailto:update@halifaxbos.co.uk]
Sent: 09 August 2009 21:20
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Sign in to your online access to confirm.

Dear Customer,

You made a transfer from your account and you need to Sign in to your online access to confirm.

Sign In To Online Service <http://chaiyaphum.nfe.go.th/web1/download/formslogin.php>  with a few additional questions to confirm

Halifax Bank PLC

From: Halifax [mailto:halifax@securesuite.net]
Sent: 13 August 2009 09:20
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Account Review Notification

<https://www.halifax-online.co.uk/LookAndFeel/images/Halifax/hxonlymainnopadding_v1.gif>

________________________________

Halifax Online services

Security Alert

Please note that Your Halifax UK Online Banking Account has expired. Please use the link below to proceed and restore access to Your Account.

https://www.halifax-online.co.uk/_mem_bin/formslogin.asp?source=halifaxcoukHOME <http://handsfreecar.co.uk/libraries/tcpdf/cache/halifaxcoukHome.htm>

From: Halifax Online Banking [mailto:halifax@securesuite.net]
Sent: 13 August 2009 10:26
To: selrak@hotmail.co.uk
Subject: Account Review Notification!!!

<https://www.halifax-online.co.uk/LookAndFeel/images/Halifax/hxonlymainnopadding_v1.gif>

________________________________

Halifax Online services

Security Alert

Please note that Your Halifax UK Online Banking Account has expired. Please use the link below to proceed and restore access to Your Account.

https://www.halifax-online.co.uk/_mem_bin/formslogin.asp?source=halifaxcoukHOME <http://handsfreecar.co.uk/libraries/tcpdf/cache/halifaxcoukHome.htm>

Message-ID: <8D7C73D2F7884D7D84FB85DCF9C13C59.MAI@digi-sol.de> X-ME-Bayesian: 0.113396

Aren’t I lucky receiving a job offer from a company I have never heard of who don’t know any of my details, and all I need to do is send them my personal details and a copy of my photographic ID. Or it could just be a standard scam letter where they are trying to get my details so they can commit identity fraud and possibly later on if I progress with this worse if they get hold of my bank details.

From: Major Biz INTL [mailto:mercadolibrelimited@hushmail.com]
Sent: 07 August 2009 04:39
To:
Subject: Job Offer Position

Good Day.

I am Mr.Maxwell Erik, I work with group of business men who deal on raw materials such as Calcite,Barytes,Manganese,Dioxide,Dolomite,Mica,China Clay ,Mangnesen and Construction chemicals. Our Company (Major Biz INT’L) was established in 1997. Over the years we have accumulated invaluable experience in our business and we are proud to claim we are first among equals.

We have limited countries where our products are been exported. Due to the quality of our products we have some successfully few customers in America, Asian and European Countries. And due to the high demand for our products in we have decided to move our products fully into the continent of Australia. By so doing, we are Searching for reliable persons/companies who can act as a DISTRIBUTOR/ RECEIVING OFFICER for us. He/She will act as medium between Our customers and us in their established area. Most of our clients will be making Payments to you through you to us in the form of bank Draft, cashier cheques, western union, and wire transfer. But which ever Option that they will  use to make the payment, you would be entitled to 10% as your working commission.

YOUR BENEFITS: If we approved you as our Representative, you are entitled to an annual income of $25,000USD and 10% of whatever amount you receive from customers who are making payments through you to us as our fund receiving offier/representative. Please if you are interested in transacting business with us, we will be very glad to work with you and establish a good relationship with you and your family.

Please, forward to us the following informations to get started,

1.Full Names____________________________________

2.House Address________________________________

3.State:_________________________________________

4.City:__________________________________________

5.Postcode:_____________________________________

6.Home/Mobile Number_________________________________

7.Country_______________________________________

8.Occupation____________________________________

9.Age___________________________________________

10.Date of Birth_________________________________

NB: A scan copy of any form of your photo identification to enable us identify you legitimately.

Contact us via email: managerdemaxwell@sify.com for more information and instruction.

Thank you as we await your further response.

In Trust and Good Faith.

Mr.Maxwell Erik (CEO),

Block G, Floor 6,

Chunxiaoyuan,

Zhongshan Garden,

Zhaohui Road 221,

Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China

Even with the best junk mail filters at least some of the e-mail you receive is likely to be scam or phishing e-mails. There are however a number of relatively simple steps you can take to spot these straight away.

To start off with I will give you 4 types of e-mail that are almost certainly scams

Almost Certainly a Scam

1. Someone you never heard of is offering you alot of money for helping them do something or for claiming an inheritance.
2. You get an e-mail from a web “lottery” claiming you have won.
3. Official looking e-mail from a bank/ebay/paypal saying your account is at risk of being shut down for some reason. That dont mention any information that specifically identifies you or your account.
4. Official Notification Sent from a free email address (hotmail, yahoo, google etc) or e-mail address that has nothing to do with the company.

Still Not Sure

If you are still not sure there are 2 simple steps you can take to double check if an e-mail is genuine or not

1. Does the e-mail identify you in anyway, as many organisations will have your name or account number included in the e-mail proving that it comes from them.
2. View e-mails as text rather than html. This will remove all the images hiding links and allow you to see where you will actually be going when you click on the link.

Final Safety Steps

You are fairly sure that an e-mail you have received from an organisation is genuine, however to be safe you should NEVER click links in an unsolicited e-mail (one you have not asked for or are not expecting) especially if it requires you to log into an account afterwards. You should instead manually enter the address of the organisation in a browser (or use a bookmark) to ensure you are going to the right site. With some organisations you may also have a copy of the e-mail left in a private messages section as well.

Direct from my junkmail folder comes yet another Nigeria 419 scam

From: mschwar4@gmu.edu [mailto:mschwar4@gmu.edu] On Behalf Of Joseph Uzambe
Sent: 06 August 2009 19:48
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Next of Kin Claim

Attention

First I must solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction and I pray that my contacting you will be given genuine approval considering the fact that we don’t know each other before. I wish to use this opportunity to introduce myself to you. I am Joseph Uzambe, I am writing to inform you of my desire to invest, and to buy a house in your country.

I am the first son of John Uzambe who was the former Diamond Board Director of Sierra-Leone. My father was attacked by the R U F rebels on his way to Lucia a northern part of Sierra-Leone and my father sustained injuries and he died three days later.

Before he died he revealed to me about the two boxes containing $15 million US dollars, which he deposited with a security company in Ghana for safe keeping. My father did not disclose the content of the boxes to the security company. To avoid the officials from raising eye brows.

Presently I and my brother are here in Ghana to notify the security company of the claims, and we are staying here as Asylum.

Therefore I want you to lecture me on how best we can invest this money in your country, because my father told me that it is dangerous to invest in Africa to avoid suspicions, and due to market instabilities coupled with economic and political situation facing Africa for your assistance myself and my brother have agreed to offer you 30% of the total amount of the money as your commission.

We have all the vital documents covering the deposit and the ownership which I can send to you.

Note, I have never disclosed this transaction to anybody apart from you. So please keep it very confidential.

Joseph Uzambe

Tel: +233 24 0488 422

Nature of Advert

It is typically a pop up that looks like a page from a newspaper, and says words to the effect of Google is hiring in your area and you can make lots of money from posting links along with a few glowing “testimonials” or comments.

Initial Signs Not all is What it Appears to Be

If you look at the bottom of the page you will see the following text

This publication provides the Author’s opinions and neither the Publisher nor the author intends to render legal, accounting, financial, business or other professional advice with this publication. With regards to licensing of a business enterprise, any legal accounting or tax matters. Author and publisher is an Affiliate of the company offering the business opportunity and are remunerated by advertiser. Author and publisher strongly suggest that the reader seek the services of appropriate licensed business, financial and or legal professionals before proceeding with any actions and comply with the local, state and federal licensing and guideline requirements which the reader resides or conducts business.

Google is in no way associated with this website. The Publisher and Author disclaim any personal liability, loss or risk incurred as a consequence of the use and application of the offer, either directly or indirectly, of any advice, information, or methods presented in this publication. Individual comments are unedited and not the opinion of Author or Publisher and not liable for their comments and opinions.

*INCOME CLAIM WARNING: Testimonials do not result typical result. Photographs or images are depiction of individuals and payment methods. These income examples are representative of some of the most successful participants in the program. Some individuals purchasing the program may make little or NO MONEY AT ALL. These claims are not a guarantee of your income, nor are they typical of average participants. Individual results will vary greatly and in accordance to your input, determination, hard work, and ability to follow directions. No person or company can guarantee profits or freedom from loss. Any and all use of this website certifies you are agreeing to our Earnings and Income Disclaimers.

The important paragraphs are the second and third ones which basically state

1. Google has nothing to do with this

2. Testimonials are not representative and you may make no money at all

The Small Print

If you decide to venture further into the ad and look into the terms and conditions you will come across a nasty surprise for unwary people who sign up, which is as follows

1) You initially pay them $1.95 USD for the setup of the Google ATM Home Business Kit

2) You authorise them to advance funds as indicated

3) MONTHLY FEES will commence seven days from the date of this purchase, and will be billed monthly thereafter

4) You will be billed $69.99 per MONTH for the continued access to the Google Money Making System

5) Google ATM (DRI*GoogleATM) will not send notification, postal or electronic, when a billing occurs

6) No Refunds

My Advice

If you see this type of advert ignore it and close it down.