John Fairheart
20 December 2005, 14:30
THE GRANT - OR MASONIC - SCAM
December 2005
By 'Finarfin (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/member.php?u=64)' for fraudwatchers.org
(with assistance from John Fairheart)
Introduction
The scammer informs the prospective victim that he has been selected to receive a Grant from the Freemasons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasons), to be used for the betterment of mankind by the recipient. With slight variations, they all start with
The Freemason (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasons) society of Bournemouth under the jurisdiction of the all Seeing Eye (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Seeing_Eye), Master Nicholas Brenner has after series of secret deliberations selected you to be a beneficiary of our 2005 foundation laying grants and also an optional opening at the round table of the Freemason society.
(links in the text above have been added by the author of this article for the convenience of the reader, and are not part of the original email)
What Is It?
This scam is a refined version of the dying wish (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=642#dyinwi) scam who requests the recipients to use their wealth to do charitable works. As with all 419 advance fee (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=248) frauds, it always and invariably leads to a fee having to be paid, in order to process the application and obtain release of the funds. After the fees have been paid, the scammer vanishes. So far, nothing new. Except that this scam has been carefully thought out by the initial creator.
The Target
Not everybody is familiar with grants. While the usual scams are written to appeal to the largest number of buyers (you have won the lottery (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=642#lotto) - middle America), somebody has done a bit of market research and the Grant scam is targeted at a particular market segment, the higher educated and specifically academics.
Scammers using the Grant scam format usually have researched mailing lists, Doctors and Academics, as well as lists apparently of people having an above average income, like professionals. People that are usually familiar with grants and based on their personal achievements can readily believe being offered a grant.
The Victims
In one known case, 3 out of 4 victims were University Professors, all over the age of 50. They fell for it because to them, it had a high probability factor; that is being offered a grant for research purposes.
One victim was hooked, but did not have the money to pay the fee. The scammer was ready to help out on the basis that it would be deducted from the final payout. He simply used a different scamming method and sent the victim some fake Wal-Mart money orders (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=483) to cash; of course the value of the money orders was higher than the amount required to settle the fees and the balance was to be forwarded to the scammer.
The scammer had found a willing victim and used fake money orders to get some cash. The victim will then be held responsible for passing on fake money orders and will have to refund the cash he collected and sent to the scammer. The scammer getting all the cash, part to cover the fees and partly to return the excess balance.
The Format - Analysis
Like all scammer emails, there are certain traits common to each. The email below is a genuine 'format' (scammer proposal letter), sent to many hundreds of individuals worldwide.
Received: from [192.116.66.34] by web86808.mail.ukl.yahoo.com via HTTP; Thu, 20 Oct 2005 02:20:52 BST
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 02:20:52 +0100 (BST)
From: "Brother Michael W. Walker" <freemasons_grandsec@yahoo.co.uk>
To: <email removed>
Subject: 2005 Grant/Fred <name removed>
ATTN: Fred <name removed> Engineering Manager <address removed for privacy> USA
The Freemason society of Ireland under the jurisdiction of the all Seeing Eye, Master Nicholas Brenner has after series of secret deliberations selected you to be a beneficiary of our 2005 foundation laying grants and also an optional opening at the round table of the Freemason society.
These grants are issued every year around the world in accordance with the objective of the Freemasons as stated by Thomas Paine in 1808 which is to ensure the continuous freedom of man and to enhance mans living conditions.
We will also advice that these funds which amount to £5.5million be used to better the lot of man through your own initiative and also we will go further to inform that the open slot to become a Freemason is optional, you can decline the offer.
Note: THIS FUND IS DIRECTED PERSONALLY TO YOU AND NOT TO YOUR COMPANY PER SAY.IT IS A TOP SECRET GRANT AND WE WOULD WISH YOU KEEP IT SECRET UNTIL THE MONEY GETS TO YOU CAUSE WE DO NOT WANT ANY GLORY FROM THIS AND TO AVOID OTHER INDIVIDUALS RUSHING OR LOBING FOR THE GRANT, YOU ARE WARNED
In order to claim your grant, contact the Grand Lodge Office secretary
grandsec_freemasory@yahoo.co.uk or the office at freemasonsuk@freemasonsuk.cjb.net
For futher informations.
Thanks
R.W. Brother Michael W. Walker,
Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of Ireland,
Freemasons' Hall, 17 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2,
Ireland.
Notice: This message is intended only for use by the person or entity to which it is addressed. Because it may contain confidential information intended solely for the addressee, you are notified that any disclosing, copying, downloading, distributing, or retaining of this message, and any attached files, is prohibited and may be a violation of state or federal law. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender by reply mail, and delete the message and all attached
Here, the email has been sent via a well known Satellite Internet Service Provider from Israel. The provider covers West Africa, and is common amongst scammer emails operating via the West African region.
The email provider being used is Yahoo, used by many thousands of scammers as a source of free and anonymous webmail provision. Real companies or organizations of any note would never use free webmail to communicate matters of such importance. On a similar note, freemasonsuk.cjb.net is also part of a free web hosting solution. This is trying to add an air of legitimacy to the email.
How likely is it that in your lifetime you will be randomly selected in secret and without your knowledge, to receive enough money to make you financially independent? Answer -- highly unlikely!
The email doesn't actually say very much, as it is the enticement to draw the victim inside. The entire email is overshadowed by the need for secrecy.
Now we come to the name and address being used in this scam. These details can be found very easily using a search engine such as Google. The page from which the details have been lifted is probably this one:
http://www.freemason.org/cfo/may_june_2001/ireland.htm
Summary
Although the email isn't that well put together, it has at its root the 'look' of legitimacy. With a little knowledge, and scratching the surface just a little, you can see that the email is nothing more than a ruse.
Please, be careful out there.
FURTHER READING:
Types of 419 Advance Fee Fraud - Dying Wish (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=642#dyinwi)
Lottery Fraud - A Brief Description (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=255)
News - Bogus Diana Memorial Foundation scam (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=698)
News - Police warn of fake money orders (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=483)
Copyright © 2005 by 'Finarfin (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/member.php?u=64)'
For fraudwatchers.org
December 2005
By 'Finarfin (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/member.php?u=64)' for fraudwatchers.org
(with assistance from John Fairheart)
Introduction
The scammer informs the prospective victim that he has been selected to receive a Grant from the Freemasons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasons), to be used for the betterment of mankind by the recipient. With slight variations, they all start with
The Freemason (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasons) society of Bournemouth under the jurisdiction of the all Seeing Eye (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Seeing_Eye), Master Nicholas Brenner has after series of secret deliberations selected you to be a beneficiary of our 2005 foundation laying grants and also an optional opening at the round table of the Freemason society.
(links in the text above have been added by the author of this article for the convenience of the reader, and are not part of the original email)
What Is It?
This scam is a refined version of the dying wish (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=642#dyinwi) scam who requests the recipients to use their wealth to do charitable works. As with all 419 advance fee (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=248) frauds, it always and invariably leads to a fee having to be paid, in order to process the application and obtain release of the funds. After the fees have been paid, the scammer vanishes. So far, nothing new. Except that this scam has been carefully thought out by the initial creator.
The Target
Not everybody is familiar with grants. While the usual scams are written to appeal to the largest number of buyers (you have won the lottery (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=642#lotto) - middle America), somebody has done a bit of market research and the Grant scam is targeted at a particular market segment, the higher educated and specifically academics.
Scammers using the Grant scam format usually have researched mailing lists, Doctors and Academics, as well as lists apparently of people having an above average income, like professionals. People that are usually familiar with grants and based on their personal achievements can readily believe being offered a grant.
The Victims
In one known case, 3 out of 4 victims were University Professors, all over the age of 50. They fell for it because to them, it had a high probability factor; that is being offered a grant for research purposes.
One victim was hooked, but did not have the money to pay the fee. The scammer was ready to help out on the basis that it would be deducted from the final payout. He simply used a different scamming method and sent the victim some fake Wal-Mart money orders (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=483) to cash; of course the value of the money orders was higher than the amount required to settle the fees and the balance was to be forwarded to the scammer.
The scammer had found a willing victim and used fake money orders to get some cash. The victim will then be held responsible for passing on fake money orders and will have to refund the cash he collected and sent to the scammer. The scammer getting all the cash, part to cover the fees and partly to return the excess balance.
The Format - Analysis
Like all scammer emails, there are certain traits common to each. The email below is a genuine 'format' (scammer proposal letter), sent to many hundreds of individuals worldwide.
Received: from [192.116.66.34] by web86808.mail.ukl.yahoo.com via HTTP; Thu, 20 Oct 2005 02:20:52 BST
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 02:20:52 +0100 (BST)
From: "Brother Michael W. Walker" <freemasons_grandsec@yahoo.co.uk>
To: <email removed>
Subject: 2005 Grant/Fred <name removed>
ATTN: Fred <name removed> Engineering Manager <address removed for privacy> USA
The Freemason society of Ireland under the jurisdiction of the all Seeing Eye, Master Nicholas Brenner has after series of secret deliberations selected you to be a beneficiary of our 2005 foundation laying grants and also an optional opening at the round table of the Freemason society.
These grants are issued every year around the world in accordance with the objective of the Freemasons as stated by Thomas Paine in 1808 which is to ensure the continuous freedom of man and to enhance mans living conditions.
We will also advice that these funds which amount to £5.5million be used to better the lot of man through your own initiative and also we will go further to inform that the open slot to become a Freemason is optional, you can decline the offer.
Note: THIS FUND IS DIRECTED PERSONALLY TO YOU AND NOT TO YOUR COMPANY PER SAY.IT IS A TOP SECRET GRANT AND WE WOULD WISH YOU KEEP IT SECRET UNTIL THE MONEY GETS TO YOU CAUSE WE DO NOT WANT ANY GLORY FROM THIS AND TO AVOID OTHER INDIVIDUALS RUSHING OR LOBING FOR THE GRANT, YOU ARE WARNED
In order to claim your grant, contact the Grand Lodge Office secretary
grandsec_freemasory@yahoo.co.uk or the office at freemasonsuk@freemasonsuk.cjb.net
For futher informations.
Thanks
R.W. Brother Michael W. Walker,
Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of Ireland,
Freemasons' Hall, 17 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2,
Ireland.
Notice: This message is intended only for use by the person or entity to which it is addressed. Because it may contain confidential information intended solely for the addressee, you are notified that any disclosing, copying, downloading, distributing, or retaining of this message, and any attached files, is prohibited and may be a violation of state or federal law. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender by reply mail, and delete the message and all attached
Here, the email has been sent via a well known Satellite Internet Service Provider from Israel. The provider covers West Africa, and is common amongst scammer emails operating via the West African region.
The email provider being used is Yahoo, used by many thousands of scammers as a source of free and anonymous webmail provision. Real companies or organizations of any note would never use free webmail to communicate matters of such importance. On a similar note, freemasonsuk.cjb.net is also part of a free web hosting solution. This is trying to add an air of legitimacy to the email.
How likely is it that in your lifetime you will be randomly selected in secret and without your knowledge, to receive enough money to make you financially independent? Answer -- highly unlikely!
The email doesn't actually say very much, as it is the enticement to draw the victim inside. The entire email is overshadowed by the need for secrecy.
Now we come to the name and address being used in this scam. These details can be found very easily using a search engine such as Google. The page from which the details have been lifted is probably this one:
http://www.freemason.org/cfo/may_june_2001/ireland.htm
Summary
Although the email isn't that well put together, it has at its root the 'look' of legitimacy. With a little knowledge, and scratching the surface just a little, you can see that the email is nothing more than a ruse.
Please, be careful out there.
FURTHER READING:
Types of 419 Advance Fee Fraud - Dying Wish (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=642#dyinwi)
Lottery Fraud - A Brief Description (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=255)
News - Bogus Diana Memorial Foundation scam (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=698)
News - Police warn of fake money orders (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=483)
Copyright © 2005 by 'Finarfin (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/member.php?u=64)'
For fraudwatchers.org