Using Internet for fraud
THERE are too many con men going around the world. Daily in my E-mail Inbox I receive intimation of winning windfall money, that is no less than a million $ or GBP.
The invitation comes with advice to contact some one in an African country: Nigeria or South Africa.
Recently I received an E-mail informing me that a parcel with a cheque worth a million $ awaits me, but I must first send them $99 as fee for it to be dispatched (surely dispatch of a packet should not cost $ 99).
Then there is a notice asking me to travel to Nigeria, hire a lawyer (presumably at hefty fee) and then claim the money.
This is in addition to a number of E-mails sent in the name of friends with an SOS that they arrived in a certain country.
This is in addition to mails from friends saying they lost their wallet containing an enormous amount (in dollars) on the way, and whether I would send them a thousand dollars to help them out.
More recently, Feb 11 morning, I received a call on my cellphone from a customer service officer (cellphone # 0300-5912220), informing me that my cellphone number had won a Mobilink bumper prize (you guessed it, it was PKR one million) and that I should call another person (0092-3056753489).
After contacting him I was asked to first purchase calling card(s) worth Rs10,600 before the cash prize could be given.
He also asked me for my house address. In the process I lost Rs26.80 in making the calls on my cellphone.
I suspect these are gimmicks to instigate customers to make more calls. It is the cell company which is making monetary windfalls, not the cellphone customer
What manner of award is this? My address should be available with the cellphone company in the form I filled before they sold me the SIM number.
JONAID IQBAL
Islamabad
Source: Dawn
Date:2/17/2010
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