If you have an email account, then chances are, you’ve received one of these, or multiples.  And more the likely, a few different variants of the same thing.  This latest one though, made me laugh… How could ANYONE possibly fall for this?

JAMES BRIEN COMEY
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FBI
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION FBI.WASHINGTON D.C
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION SEEKING TO WIRETAP

The Federal bureau of investigation (FBI) Washington, D.C in conjunction with some other relevant Investigations Agencies have recently been informed through our Global intelligence monitoring network that your over-due contract payment which was fully endorsed in your favor accordingly by the Central bank of Malaysia(Bank Negara Malaysia) has not been claimed.

It might interest you to know that we have taken out time in screening through this project as stipulated on our protocol of operation and have finally confirmed that your contract payment is 100% genuine and hitch free from all facet and of which you have the lawful right to claim your fund without any further delay. We further advise that you go ahead in dealing with the Central Bank office accordingly as we will be monitoring all their services with you as well as your correspondence at all level.

We were also made to understand that a lady with name Mrs. Joan C.Bailey from OHIO has already contacted them and also presented to them all the necessary documentation evidencing your claim purported to have been signed personally by you prior to the release of your contract fund valued at about $25million us dollars only but the Central Bank office did the wise thing by insisting on hearing from you personally before they go ahead on wiring your fund to the Bank information which was forwarded to them by the above named Lady so that the main reason why they contacted us so as to assist them in making the investigation.

Contact immediately the office of the Central Bank of Malaysia (Bank Negara Malaysia) via email with the below information accordingly:

NAME: Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
OFFICE ADDRESS: Bank Negara Malaysia,
Jalan Kuching, Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan,Kuala Lumpur,
Selangor,Malaysia
Email: z.aziz1@aol.com

Meanwhile, we will advise that you contact the office of the Governor of the Central Bank immediately with the above email address and request that they attend to your payment file as directed, so as to enable you receive your contract fund accordingly.

To this effect, you are required to reconfirm and authenticate your given particulars below for certainty and onward processing and release of you funds as we may not be held liable for any wrong payment.

FULL NAMES: __________________________________
CITY: _________________________
STATE: __________________________________
ZIP: ______________
COUNTRY________________________________
SEX: _______________
AGE: __________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER: _____________________
FAX: __________________________

Ensure you follow all their procedure as may be required by them as that will further help hasten up the whole procedure as regard to the transfer of your fund to you as designated. Also have in mind that the Central Bank of Malaysia equally have their own protocol of operation as stipulated on their banking terms, so delay could be very dangerous.

Thank you very much for your anticipated co-operation in advance as we earnestly await your urgent response to this matter.

Best Regards,

James Brien Comey
Federal Bureau of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW Washington, D.C.

Now the first red flag that hits me… What does the FBI have to do with Central Bank of Malaysia? The answer? Nothing.

According to th official FBI site:

The FBI is an intelligence-driven and threat-focused national security organization with both intelligence and law enforcement responsibilities—the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice and a full member of the U.S. Intelligence Community. It has the authority and responsibility to investigate specific crimes assigned to it and to provide other law enforcement agencies with cooperative services, such as fingerprint identification, laboratory examinations, and training. The FBI also gathers, shares, and analyzes intelligence—both to support its own investigations and those of its partners and to better understand and combat the security threats facing the United States.

Nothing about banking matters. Let alone those that happen outside the soil of the United States.

Second, these letters never address the actual recipient… You know, when a letter is actually addressed to you “Dear Mr. Jones”… instead it’s usually very vague, which makes sense as they are sending this exact letter to hundreds of thousands of other people.

Third Red flag… The amount of information that are asking me… Age, Sex, really? Since when does my age and sex have anything to do with claiming money…

Fourth, real letters like this, come by registered mail or are delivered by a solicitor (lawyer), not by an email address that has nothing to do with the letter… I mean why would an official letter from the FBI be coming from janehasfun@yahoo.com (I just made that up, it wasn’t the actual email, and if someone has this email, sorry).

I mean, obviously the Nigerian letters have been debunked so much that they figured they needed a new game to try to make them look more official, but seriously… common sense people… and if you don’t have it, maybe the internet isn’t for you….