In this scambaiting episode, I apply for a multi-million dollar loan with a guy who turns
out to be the actual CEO of a company (well, at least that’s what he told me).
He eventually offers to deliver the massive loan to my Japanese mountain retreat by private
courier.
Let’s see how this unfolds.
The original message came from a one Luca Sollazzo.
“Are you in need Of a Personal Or Business Loans at 3% Rate for Various Purposes?
If Yes; Contact us Via Email: Jeffhelpsinvestment; Names; Amount($); Country; Telephone; Duration.”
At the end of the email, there was some Italian attached, so using Google Translate, the message
was basically a warning saying,
“This message is strictly reserved for the recipient indicated above.
Anyone who received this message by mistake is asked to notify the sender and then delete
it.
It is strictly forbidden to copy it, disclose its contents or use it for any purpose.
Thank you.”
Strictly forbidden to copy it or disclose its contents?
Too bad!
This is going on YouTube.
I replied,
“Yes, I'm looking for a loan, but I have one quick query.
This email came from luca.sollazzo, but you asked me to contact Jeffhelpsinvestment.
Is Jeff and Luca the same person?
If not, which one will I be dealing with regarding the loan?
Nathan Algren”
Who is Nathan Algren?
He’s Tom Cruise’s character from the 2003 American period action drama film, The Last
Samurai.
Jeff replied with all the usual poorly-written spiel.
“We are give out Loans to individuals and co-operate body in need of financial assistance
at ones convenience with a reasonable interest of 3%”; “Maximum Amount: $50,000,000 millions
($50 trillion?)
Minimum Amount: $3,000”.
They go on to ask for the usual personal details using the official-looking Loan Application
Form and then closes with,
“Kindly get back with the above information, which will be used for documentation.
CUSTOMER'S SATISFACTION IS OUR PRIDE.
HOPE TO SERVE YOU BETTER.
THANKS.
Mr Jeff Roberto”
He still hadn’t explained who Luca was, so I pressed the issue,
“Great, that all sounds wonderful.
But before we get started with the loan, I just need to know...
The original email came from luca.sollazzo but you asked me to contact Jeffhelpsinvestment.
Is Jeff and Luca the same person?
Or are they colleagues?
Nathan Algren”
Jeff replied,
“Is a colleagues, i am the CEO.
Kind regards, Mr Jeff Robert”
Wow, the actual CEO.
So I replied,
“Wow, I'm actually speaking with the CEO?
That's great!
Anyway, regarding the loan, here are my details: Amount: $1,750,000 million; Full names: Captain
Nathan Algren; Country: Japan; Valid mobile phone number: <A fake Japanese number and
an excuse as to why I can’t answer it> (Unfortunately, I live in the mountains, so I don't have very
good phone reception); Purpose of the loan: Purchase of an onsen (a Japanese hot spring);
Address: Mount Yari — the real address of a mountain in Japan; Occupation: Investor;
Gender: Male or Female: Currently male, but changes are ongoing; Loan Term: Is 50 years
possible?; Age: 41”
He came back with a lengthy email outlining the terms and conditions of the loan.
All the usual nonsense, but one thing stood out,
“i believe you can be trusted? we can grant you that amount of loan on one condition,
i need your trust and co-operation.”
Of course!
What sort of scambaiter would I be if I didn’t cooperate?
He attached some real-looking figures of the 50-year, 3% loan for $1.75 million with a
monthly repayment of $5,634.61.
I guess he used an online calculator, or heaven forbid, he’s got a degree in finance?
He then went on to explain that I don’t have to start paying back the loan until three
months after receiving the funds.
And finally,
“Hope to hear from you soon.
Once Again You Welcome.
Kind regards/Respect.
Mr Jeff Robert”
The address is an actual address of a real loan agency in Nebraska called Nelnet, but
their CEO is not Jeff Robert, but Jeff Noordhoek.
Oh well, at least the scammer got his first name right.
I replied,
“Dear Mr Robert.
That's such a great interest rate.
How do you get such low rates?
Yes, I can be trusted.
I was a Captain in the US Army and helped train the Imperial Japanese forces.
I searched on the internet for the address that you provided and it came up with Nelnet
Loan Agency in Nebraska.
Are you the CEO of Nelnet?
Do you live in Nebraska?
If so, I'd like to continue to the next step.
Nathan Algren”
Jeff promptly replied,
“Hello Nathan Algren.
Your email was receive.
Yes, i am the MD/CEO of Nelnet in Nebraska.
I'm happy that you are in agreement with the loan terms and condition, now you have be
a kind person and well honest and we see to be honest with you.
I fidelity keep my word and treat client with the best of service, here is the option we
do transfer funds.
You have to choose an option through which we are going to transfer the loan to you,
you are to fill this and let's move further.”
There were two options: Bank transfer (which I didn’t want to do), or Express courier.
“In this option you are to send us your personal details to enable us send the loan
to you true courier.”
I was interested how they would send a loan via courier, so I replied,
“I like the idea of the Express Courier.
How does that work?
Do you send the money via courier to my mountain address?
Nathan Algren”
There was no reply for a couple of hours, so I sent another message,
“What information do you need for the Express Courier option?”
Finally, he replied (I guess scammers need to sleep too),
“Hello Nathan Algren.
Sorry for the delay in replying you, i received your email before forward your loan amount
$1,750,00.00 to the Express courier firm that will handle the delivery to your destination.
It will be delivered to you within 24hours after you have taken care of the required
cost, you were told about the fact that you will send a scan copy of your international/national
identity card or a driver license will be send along with this mail for documentation
of your loan process and contract agreement.
Quickly send to me your information as follows to enable us send the money to you immediately
through a secured security company Express courier.”
He then asked for some details that I thought I had already give to him, and said, “For
the expedite and a step forward in this transaction you are expected to get back to me urgently.”
So of course, I decided not to get back to him till the next day,
“Sorry for the delay Jeff.
I had some urgent business down at the local onsen.
So if I understand you correctly, I need to provide some details to you and an international
license?
Here are the details: Captain Nathan Algren; Mount Yari; Fake mobile phone number;
Nagano/Omachi;
How do I send you my license?”
He replied,
“Thanks for the mail.
I really appreciate your good response Nathan Algren, i have received your details and it
has been forwarded to the department.
Yes driver's license or your working identity card as well as an International Passport
if you have one.
This is important to us try and bring it and attache it to the mail.
Your swift response to this mail will be highly appreciated.
Response needed as soon as possible.
I promise to serve you better.
Thanks.”
I decided to play it dumb and pretend that I had no idea how to attach a file to an email.
I wrote,
“I have a Japanese driver's license and an American passport.
How do you want me to send them to you?
By courier?
What's your postal address?”
Jeff replied,
“Send it over the email on here by attaching it.”
“I'm not 100% sure what you mean...
How do you "attach" a passport to an email?”
“Its an easy way to do, but if you don't know it send the Passport ID Number, or do
you have whatsapp?”
“Is it really safe to send a Passport ID number over the internet?
I'd prefer to send you my actual passport via courier.
Is that okay?
By the way, what's a whatsapp?”
Replying with a message titled “Well safety” (I can understand how it’s important, but
does it really apply here?), Jeff wrote,
“Yes very well safe, whatsapp is what you can use to communicate to your family and
friends as easy communication.
We only need your identification ID for documentation of your loan process loan contract agreement
which you are going to sign before the loan can be transfer to you.
Attached mail is one of customer who just send his ID card for his loan documentation
process.”
Again, playing dumb, I wrote,
“I can see the photo of your customer's ID, but I still don't quite understand how
to send my ID to you.
Anyway, I'll go with your original suggestion and send you my Passport number.
Can we move to the next step now?”
I just used the passport number from one of the Australian Government’s sample passports.
Anyway, that seemed to do the trick as Jeff sent through another email.
“Hello Nathan Algren.
Your email was receive with your Passport number, i have to forward your document to
our verification unit for verification processes i will then update you shortly on your loan
agreement contract letter status this shall be base on the out come of our verification
unit.”
About an hour or so later, the verification unit must have given him the green light.
He wrote,
“I am glad to inform you that your loan sum of $1,750,000.00 has been approve for
transfer and the loan is ready to be transferred to you via Express courier.
You shall find in the attached the paper work of our loan transaction which in cloud loan
contract document.
Note: As soon as the loan $1,750,000 is confirmed available to you, you shall start repayment
of the loan three months upon the confirmation of the loan.
I will await your swift respond.
Get the loan contract sign and returned it back to us.”
He attached a somewhat fake-looking Certificate of Loan Approval with congratulations written
on it as well as a seal stating “100% satisfaction guaranteed”.
He also sent through a seven-page somewhat official-looking loan document including all
the pertinent, albeit, fake details.
I guess they’ve just downloaded a real loan contract from somewhere and edited it to suit
their nefarious purposes.
Everything looked as expected, but then I noticed something on page 6 about a processing
fee.
“Make arrangements to pay processing fees, amounting to $1,750 of your loan transfer
cost as stated by the Heartland bank of USA.”
I guess this is the purpose of the scam.
To try to get their victims to pay this fee.
The last page was simply a signatory page.
So I got Captain Algren to sign it in his best handwriting and sent through a signed
copy.
“Hi Jeff.
I have signed the loan agreement as requested.
I noticed that there is a $1,750 processing fee in there.
Do I have to pay that first?
Nathan Algren”
He replied,
“Hello Nathan Algren.
Yes, we have received your contract signed.
Here is the payment information you are to send the payment down.”
He included some real banking information.
The credit union actually exists and its routing number checks out.
But I thought, just to mess with them, I’ll pretend that I’ve contacted the bank already.
“Hi Jeff.
I just got off the phone with Downriver Community Federal Credit Union and they recommend that
I send a postal money order directly to Nelnet instead (apparently, it's safer).
I've already purchased the money order to the value of US$1,750.
That's the correct amount, right?
I will send it by priority mail to the Nelnet address that you provided earlier (It should
only take a couple of days).
By the way, is that your actual office address?
I will send it this afternoon after I go into the city.
Just let me know if that's all okay.
Nathan Algren”
Jeff replied and reiterated that I should send the money via direct deposit.
“Processing payment should be made using the name above that was instructed, using
the information below to make the payment.”
I wasn’t going to have any of that, so I pretended that I had rung Nelnet directly.
“Hi Jeff.
I just rang Nelnet and they said you weren't in.
They said that you were on a business trip at the moment.
But the strange thing was they referred to you as Jeff Noordhoek.
Is that your name?
Anyway, I mentioned Barbara Jean Ettore and they said they've never heard of her.
Who is Barbara Jean Ettore?
Could you please tell me why I will be sending Barbara the processing fee?”
Jeff promptly replied,
“I got your mail, and i want you to know Noordhoek is my Nickname and Barbara is the
chief accountant for the receiver name.
You don't have anything to be worried, feel free and make the payment as soon as possible.”
“I see, that makes sense.
As per your instruction, I have posted the money order for $1,750 to your office in Nebraska
addressing it to Barbara Jean Ettore.
I have sent it by priority mail and they said it should arrive by Friday.
Let me know when Barbara receives it and then we can go from there.”
Jeff wasn’t very happy with that and set back an email titled, “Don't Disobey an
order of superior”.
He wrote,
“You don't have to disobey the direct order, so if you are 100% serious about this and
you want to get your loan as fast as possible you have to make the payment using the name
above that was instructed, requests are strictly confidential.”
I replied,
“I didn't disobey any order.
Your secretary told me on the phone to send all payments via money order to your Nebraska
office.
Why would your secretary say that?
Should I cancel the money order?
If I do that, there will be a $50 cancellation fee.
Who will pay for that?”
This time, with an email titled, “Obey The Order Of Superior”, Jeff started to get
a bit angry,
“You don't have to disobey the direct order Mr Nathan Algren.
You were instructed to make the payment using the name above that was instructed, this is
the processing chief accountant officer which all our customer do send processing fee into
and you have to obey the order as you were instructed according to the loan contract
agreement that you sign.”
I replied,
“First of all, I'm not MR Nathan Algren, I'm CAPTAIN Nathan Algren.
I was in the US Army for 21 years!
You are not my superior (unless your name is Major Jeff Robert?).
Your secretary at Nelnet's head office in Lincoln Nebraska told me that I must send
all payments through to the head office.
She specifically said NOT to send money through as a direct deposit.
Is your secretary wrong?
If so, you need to get a new secretary!
She also told me that her boss's name is Jeff Noordhoek, not Jeff Robert.
Who are you?
Are you pretending to be Jeff Noordhoek?
Are you actually just one of Nelnet's interns pretending to be the CEO?”
“In general, the chief executive officer (CEO) is considered the highest ranking officer
in a company, and the president is second in charge.
I don't know how you want me to explain this to your understanding, did you read the loan
contract agreement well before you signed?
You have to do as you were instructed to get this done, and send the payment receipt down.”
“I'm not sending you anything until you show me photo ID that your are indeed Jeff
Noordhoek.
I've already sent a $1,750 money order to your Nebraska office.
Surely, they can pass it on the correct people?
The only person who knows anything about Barbara Jean Ettore is you.
Maybe you're trying to avoid paying tax or something?
If so, can you please be honest about it so we don't have to go around in these silly
circles.”
Jeff never replied, so I decided to send one last email,
“Hi Jeff.
Guess who rang me...
A one Jeff Noordhoek.
He told me that he never approved this loan and that you, Jeff Robert, are a fraud.
I've sent Mr Noordhoek the bank account name and number of your friend (or mother) Barbara
Jean Ettore.
Jeff has contacted the Downriver Community Federal Credit Union and they are currently
in the process of cancelling Barbara's account.
An investigation has been lodged with the local police.
Perhaps Jeff (or Luca, or whatever your name is), you should find a more honest job instead
of trying to scam people on the internet.
If you do manage to avoid jail, I hope you use your accounting expertise to do something
much more rewarding and beneficial to society.
Scammers are the lowest of the low.
Hopefully you realize this before finding yourself locked up in prison.
Captain Nathan Algren (not my real name)”
And that’s it for this episode of scambaiting.
I hope you’ve enjoyed watching this as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.
Until next time, cheers.